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StumbleBoy’s father charged with endangerment after fatal shooting
Published Tuesday, July 21, 2009 | 7:36 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, July 21, 2009 | 3:36 p.m.
Alex Kopystenski
Shooting
UPDATED STORY: Police: Gun used in boy’s shooting was ‘out and unsecured’
The father of a 5-year-old boy who died of a gunshot wound to the head has been arrested by Metro Police.
The boy, who Metro Police said found a gun inside a car and fired it once Monday night, with a round striking him in the head, died early Tuesday morning.
Police arrested 31-year-old Alex Kopystenski of Las Vegas. He was taken to the Clark County Detention Center where he was charged with one count of child endangerment, Metro Police Officer Barbara Morgan said
Kopystenski posted a $3,000 bail and was released from detention, authorities said.
The Clark County Coroner's Office said the boy, Giovanni Kopystenski, died at University Medical Center at 1:25 a.m. Tuesday.
"The investigation is in its preliminary stages and detectives are trying to determine how the child obtained the firearm," a police statement said.
The official cause and manner of death will be determined during an autopsy.
According to police records, Kopystenski has an extensive history with local law enforcement authorities.
He was charged with possessing a dangerous weapon at a North Las Vegas school and with loitering in 2001, but the charges were dismissed for lack of evidence, court records indicated.
An assault with a deadly weapon charge in North Las Vegas in 2001 concluded with Kopystenski completing the court’s instructions.
On May 30, 2006, Kopystenski was arrested by Henderson Police and charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, one count of possessing a controlled substance, three counts of possessing a dangerous drug without a prescription, one count of possession of a controlled substance for sale and one count of carrying a concealed weapon, said Todd Rasmussen, spokesman for the Henderson Police Department.
In the case of carrying a concealed weapon in 2006, Kopystenski pleaded to a misdemeanor charge and paid a $530 fine in 2007, court records said.
Metro Police records indicate that Kopystenski was last arrested in that jurisdiction on Jan. 21, 2001, for carrying a concealed weapon. He was also arrested and charged on July 19, 1997, for coercion and assault with a deadly weapon, said Metro Police spokesman Officer Jay Rivera.
An assault with a deadly weapon charge in 1997 was dismissed for lack of evidence.
The boy, his father and a friend, who was not arrested, were going through a drive-in window at the Walgreens on Durango Drive and Warm Springs Road shortly after 8 p.m. Monday when the boy found a gun inside the car, police said.
After the shooting, the father rushed the boy to Spring Valley Hospital with a gunshot wound to the head, police said. The child was transferred to University Medical Center's trauma unit in critical condition, police said.
Homicide detectives detained the father and the friend at Spring Valley Hospital and learned that the two adults and the child left home to go to Walgreens, where the shooting occurred, police said.
Police are continuing to investigate this shooting.
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Loaded gun in the car + child = trouble
cisea -- should be "Loaded gun in the car + child who hasn't been taught to respect the weapon = trouble"
That's the real "Duhhhhhhhhhhh..."
The real DUHHHHHH here is why wasn't the gun in a holster?
Dumbass parent.
He has a tattoo on his neck, gangbanger turned parent? He had to have his gat ready at all time incase a cat skinner came by. Hope they give him some serious time in prison. Hey that tat may give him some street cred. Death by dumbass needs to be listed on the death certificate.
LasVegas2009 -- if a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, each one describes what a fool you proved yourself to be with that post.
guns + STUPID PEOPLE = Too many dead kids in Las Vegas.
There are THOUSANDS of these stupid people in the valley.
These stupid people ought not own guns OR have kids.
That's Las Vegas own DJ Lexo http://www.myspace.com/djdubbakalexo
Unfortunately his claim to fame wont be from doin music.
RIP GIO
Yeah, Yeah KillerB defender of all thats wrong in the world.
How stupid do you have to be to have a gun anywhere near where a child can get a hand on it?
LV2009 -- hardly.
denro -- not as stupid as someone who doesn't teach the child proper respect for the weapon. Get over the macho crap and get real.
Any bets on whether someone is going to do some time on this one. Don't know whether you can depend on a 5 year old doing what they are supposed to but you would think that a 31 year old would know how better that depend on a 5 year old doing what they are told to.
Either way this is a nightmare that every parent should understand; the death of your child.
Fast question for anyone who might know. I an not a citizen of Nevada. Does Nevada have an open carry and/or concealed carry law and if so what are the restrictions ie. person, vehicle.
Its easy for yu too say when it didnt happen to you.Lex was a very good guy,despite him having tatoos and being young ...wth does that have to do with knowing how to raise his son? He cherished and loved Gio with all of his heart , everyone makes mistakes and no Gio didnt know anything about a gun due to his autism !
Lex was wrong for having the gun where Gio can get to it , but who would think Gio were too pick it up. Yes , the way things happend were wrong but sheesh man cut him just a little bit of slack. Lex is already hurting enough !
R.i.p Giovanni .
We are all so quick to judge others for their mistakes.
This was a sad and unfortunate accident, not a criminal act.
This man obviously loved his son. He didn't have any intent to harm him. If he were the lowlife jerk you all are making him out to be, he would have hid the body and made up some kind of excuse, like he was abducted.
He drove the child to the hospital to get him medical attention, and took responsibility for the accident. He didn't hide or lie about it.
Sounds to me like what any normal caring human would do under the circumstances.
@geezelouise;
finally someone that looks at it from a different point of view .
it was unfortuante and not intentionally !
AngryR -- I'm so glad you were able to have a religious experience over this. You're at at 8, we need you to turn it down to about a 2. Then look up "relevancy."
aysiiaxgee, geezlouise -- you guys make a good point, which is what exactly will prosecuting this father accomplish? Besides make Metro and the DA look like they're doing jobs. Especially the Clark County Family Gestapo.
Under the fundamental law, the kind of law this country and state were founded on, a necessary element of any crime was mens rea -- literally "evil mind," the intent to commit a crime. That is completely lacking here. Let this family grieve and learn.
KillerB-- prosecuting him wont do anything at all! he can careless about the jail time nd fines , i'm sure he just wants Giovanni back ..
How many arrests, assaults, drug charges, and gun charges do you get to have on your record before an accident like this is deemed "imminent" .vs "accidental"? More like an accident waiting to happen is what it was. Don't tell me what a great parent some guy is that has this extensive of a criminal background and violent history. There should be criteria for raising children.
henderson--
yes, but violence with no evidence. all charges were dropped . and plus , that was before Giovanni was around.
whos to say that your not a great partent , because you have a criminal record?
criteria for raising children , if that was the case there wouldnt be so man children running around. everyone one has their own opinion , but like i said it was an accident everyone makes mistakes reguardless of what you are, criminal , or not.. he still loved Giovanni !
My empathy to the father and family I can't imagine what they must be going through.
This was a preventable accident. Does it matter who's at fault to young Giovanni? What his father is going through must be unimaginable, he is already in Hell. Ask yourself, if this were you, what punishment can anyone give you that can make you feel more sorrowful then you already do?
Try to understand that owning a gun may make you feel safer but it does not make you safer. The facts clearly show that owning a gun puts you at a higher risk of this sort of thing happening to you.
Gun Violence Statistics and Studies April 2009
* In 2006, nearly 9 children and teenagers, ages 19 and under, were killed with guns everyday.
* Gun Deaths and Injury - The United States Leads the World in Firearm Violence.
* The presence of a gun in the home triples the risk of homicide in the home.
* In 2007, there were 198 justifiable homicides by private citizens using firearms in the United States.
* For every time a gun is used in a home in a legally-justifiable shooting [note that not every self-defense is legally justifiable] there are 22 criminal, unintentional, and suicide-related shootings.
* As of 2004, there were approximately 283 million privately owned firearms in the U.S -- 40% of them handguns.
* Currently, an estimated 34.5% of households have a gun, while 24% have a handgun.
Please, if you own guns you have an obligation to make sure they are secured.
I have to ask one question? Why wasnt this child in a car seat?Had that been the case,he would still be here!Question 2,why did this man even have a gun in the car? Something doesnt stir the kool-aid,and the one that paid was a child! He paid with his life! RIP LITTLE ONE! CHILDREN ARE GODS GREATEST GIFT,AND WE AS ADULTS NEED TO WATCH OVER OUR FUTURE! REGUARDLESS OF COLOR CREED OR NATIONALITY!
vegas_tink,
Your numbers do not reflect how many crimes were prevented or thwarted as the result of a responsible gun owner. How many people were able to defend themselves or others from assault, rape, robbery because they exercized their right to own a firearm.
If you really want to prevent deaths in America, for people of every shape, size, color & age, why don't you seek a ban on automobilies. More people die in car accidents than firearm accidents. Also, owning a car is not a protected Constitutional right.
rumrunner -- "Second Amendment" doesn't ring a bell with you? As with any right it carries responsibilities. As I've been posting here, among those is teaching your children to respect weapons and keeping them secured until they do.
A hint for future posts -- at least with me when you start spewing trash like "kool aid" you lack credibility. As the rest of your posted rant shows there's little reason behind it.
Oh trust me,i know about my rights,and its with me at all times!I have a permit for a concealed weapon,and have no problems useing it to protect my family! All i asked was one question about why this child wasnt in a car seat?And as for the "kool-aid" comment,you have to read some of the posts in all the comments to get on peoples levels.