Yesterday 14 yr old DS and his friends were playing with Air Soft guns, down the street, at his friends house.
8 yr old DS, and his friends were all at his friends house right next door. The younger kids were taunting the older kids and vice versa... The one 14 yr old neighbor lost his temper and fired the Air Soft gun while the younger kids were still in range, and 8 yr old DS got hit in the eye. Thank God, he was fine! It stung, and his eye was red, but it did not hit the cornea, and he was fine!
Our family usually keeps a pretty low profile in our neighborhood, minding our own business, and maintaining "neighborly" distance. Apparently there has been a feud brewing between some of the new neighbors and some of the old neighbors. Until last night, we were completely unaware of the situation.
After that happened, a couple of the younger kids ran home, blew the whole incident out of proportion, telling their parents that the kid shot at DS "on purpose" basically just starting trouble between their parents who already had some sort of war going on with those neighbors.
About an hour afterwards, DH was going to walk over and talk to the kids Dad, when suddenly, 5 other neighbors appeared in our driveway - flipping out & trying to form some sort of Lynch Mob!
Meanwhile, that family has lived here longer than anyone else, and we have been friends with them for 9 years. Their son can be a jerk, he has had problems with 14 yr old DS in the past, but we have always dealt with them, and maintained the peace. DH managed to calm everyone down, and went over, alone, to talk to the kid & his Dad...
About a 1/2 hour later, the Dad came over and was talking to DH in the garage - I wasn't "eavesdropping" or anything, but I could hear the entire conversation through the window I opened.
Apparently, the Dad went total Ape Shit after DH left, ripped the kids bedroom door off the hinges - which wound up breaking his turtle tank.
I know that no one involved in the incident was completely innocent - 8 yr old DS should have left the older boys alone, and got out of the way when told - and the 14 yr old neighbor should not have lost his temper and shot the Air Soft off while the younger kids were in the way...
However, I feel that everyone overreacted, considering the fact that no one was injured, despite the close call.
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