David V Doyle: Louisiana man shoots 14-year-old girl playing hide and seek on his property
Warning: The article contains a recollection of crime that could be triggering to some readers. Discretion is advised.
STARKS, LOUISIANA: David V Doyle, a 58-year-old man, was arrested for shooting a 14-year-old girl in the head while she played hide and seek outside his home. The man said he opened fire on a group of children playing on his property and “unknowingly hit the girl.” Officials said they were called to respond to a shooting incident at a Starks home on Sunday, May 7, and found the teen with a gunshot wound at the back of her head.
The sheriff’s office mentioned that several children were playing hide-and-seek in the area on Jimmy Doyle Road and used Doyle’s property to hide. The dead-end road is home to only three residents, including Doyle, the victim’s family and a relative to the victim’s family. Doyle told deputies that he grabbed the gun after noticing shadows outside his home and opened fire after seeing seeing people running away from his property.
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In the wake of the shooting, the teen, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Family members told 7News that she was “okay and recovering.” Doyle was then arrested and charged with aggravated battery, four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and illegal discharge of a firearm. He has been booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center and his bond remains pending, KPLC-TV reported.
‘Normal day in America’
Social media users were quick to respond to the shooting in Louisiana and took to Reddit to share their reactions. “BREAKING NEWS: Normal day in America,” one user said. “God... people are just itching to shoot other people aren't they?” another wrote. “This is what happens when you make it easier for a mentally ill person to own a gun than to get a drivers licence,” a third commented.
“At this rate, I don't think anything is going to catch up to gun violence as the #1 cause of death for American minors anytime soon,” said another. One user said, “America: why don’t kids play outside anymore? When I was a kid, we played hide and seek in the whole neighborhood. Also America: I saw somebody move outside, so I shot them” while another added, “Them: Parents don't let kids play outside anymore! Millennials are ruining parenting! Also them: If you ring my doorbell, I have a loaded six waiting for you.”
Louisiana incident mirrors Kaylin Gillis and Ralph Yarl shootings
Similar to the latest incident in Louisiana, two other people were recently shot by homeowners after mistakenly ringing the doorbell at the wrong address. On April 13, 16-year-old Ralph Yarl was shot and severely wounded by 84-year-old Andrew Daniel Lester after he accidentally rang the doorbell to the wrong house in Kansas City, Missouri. Yarl was supposed to pick up his twin brothers from an address in the 1100 block of NE 115th Terrace on April 13, 2023 but went to the wrong address at Lester’s home less than a block away on NE 115th Street. The suspect allegedly shot Yarl twice through the front glass door of the house and the teen was later found lying on the street with at least two gunshot wounds to his head and arm. Yarl was discharged from the hospital on April 16.
Meanwhile, on April 15, 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis was shot and killed by Kevin D Monahan after accidentally pulling into the wrong driveway in Hebron, New York. Gillis and her friends were reportedly looking for another friend’s house when their car pulled into Monahan’s driveway. The suspect fired two shots at the vehicle using a 20-gauge shotgun while the group was exiting the driveway after realizing their mistake. The shooting incident claimed Gillis’ life and Monahan was charged with second-degree murder. He is currently being held at the Warren County Jail in Lake George.
The Louisiana shooting became the third incident where a homeowner shot at a person who entered their property mistakenly or unknowingly. While Doyle was arrested on multiple charges and held at a correctional facility, authorities said the latest shooting is still under investigation.
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