Parents face charges in child shooting case

Monday, June 22, 2009 | 1:16 p.m.

Child shooting

The parents of a 10-year-old North Las Vegas boy who shot a 7-year-old girl last month were arrested by police for child neglect and endangerment.

When North Las Vegas Police went to a home in the 500 block of Blackbird Knoll Court about 8:28 a.m. May 21 responding to a call that a child had been shot, they found that the girl had been taken to Mountain View Hospital by a relative.

The girl survived her injuries from the shooting.

The boy suspected in the shooting was found at a nearby elementary school, said Sgt. Tim Bedwell, spokesman for the North Las Vegas Police Department.

Police investigated the case and sent it to the Clark County District Attorney's Office, where arrest warrants were issued today for Karen Washner, 41, and David Wachner, 39, both of North Las Vegas, Bedwell said.

The Wachners are the mother and father of the 10-year-old boy.

David Wachner was arrested this morning and taken to the Clark County Detention Center, where he is being held on charges of one count of child endangerment with substantial bodily harm, one count of child neglect and one count of reckless endangerment, detention center records show.

Karen Wachner is expected to turn herself in to police on Tuesday and faces the same charges, Bedwell said.

Discussion: 10 comments so far…

By goingbust

6/22/09 at 1:44 p.m.

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They will plead not guilty. Knowing that they have a weak case, prosecutors will offer a lenient punishment. They will accept it.

MARK THIS THREAD!
By LasVegas2009

6/22/09 at 2:37 p.m.

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Well from what I heard the mother of the victim saw the kid with the gun. See should also be charged for not taking it or calling police. She should have taken the gun from the kid but she just didnt do anything so she should be charged as well.
By Babyboomer

6/22/09 at 3:22 p.m.

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People want their freedom to bear arms....this is the price we pay and will continue to pay.Guess what will happen when a politicians sons/daughter is shot or killed.
By henderson

6/22/09 at 4:34 p.m.

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What an ignorant statement from babyboomer. If people no longer had the freedom to bear arms only the criminals would have the right to self defense. You don't even know if that was a legally registered firearm or not. Do you really want to live in a land where our freedoms are infringed on because of a few irresponsible people? Go live in your communist paradise somewhere else. Cars kill more people than guns, do you think we should outlaw automobiles? After all, owning/driving a car isn't even a constitutionally protected right!
By JSpence07

6/22/09 at 5:06 p.m.

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Babyboomer,

Please educate yourself before commenting. Not all gun owners let children play with their guns. From the sounds of it, this gun wasn't even legally owned. Who just leaves guns laying around for children to play with anyway? Keep your dumb liberal politics out of the discussion. If you hate the fact that we can have guns in Nevada, move to Wisconsin or Illinois. They are the most communist states when it comes to the Second Amendment.

If what LasVegas2009 is true, the victim's mother should be charged for child endangerment too. If that was my daughter and I saw some child with a gun near her, you bet your ass I'd run over to the child with the gun and snatch it away. Honestly, I'd do that if I saw ANY child with a gun near anyone. Duh. It sounds like a bunch of pinhead parents on both sides of the table here.
By henderson

6/22/09 at 6:09 p.m.

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It is true. The boy went to the girls home with the gun, the girl's mother saw it, and told him to take the gun back home. Apparently she let her daughter leave with the boy and the gun.

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=1...
By wiseone

6/22/09 at 7:45 p.m.

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This type of crime would never occur if parents would simply lock up their guns.
By starrynite7

6/22/09 at 10:39 p.m.

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People should have to pass a test before they have kids...This mother is a perfect example of what not to do..or be as a mother. I hope they take the kid and never let her go back to the mother. The mother should be locked up in a nut house.
By WelshGirl

6/24/09 at 3:46 a.m.

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I agree with 'starrynight7' People should be made to take a test before having kids. I can't believe this woman told the boy to 'take the gun back home' are people crazy or what?
By cfb143

6/25/09 at 6:33 a.m.

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It seams funny to me that the Mother of the Girl is not being charged, I know if a child had come into my house with a gun I would have taken it away from them not let them leave my house with it and with my child in tow!!! The Wachners are good parents but make mistakes like every other parent, but I hear the little girl is out playing and running around, doesn't sound life threatening, I also heard the mother of the little girl has gotten an attorney and asked the Wachner's if they were setting up a college fund for the little girl. Sounds to me like she is looking for a Big Fat Paycheck , which is what is wrong with the world today! Also the District Attorney is trying to prove something.