Benjamin Hilburn, 10, Charged with the Death of his Father, Byron Hilburn, Said His Father Disciplined Him too Harshly and Too Often

Benjamin Hilburn, 10, has been charged by Belen, New Mexico, police with first degree murder in the shooting death of his father, Bryon Hilburn, 42. The boy called police Thursday evening after the shooting. According to media reports, when the police arrived, they found the father with a gun shot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. Police have said they believe Benjamin used his own rifle to fatally shoot his father. The boy reportedly told police he felt his father was disciplining him too harshly and too often. Well, when I was a child, I couldn't muster up the courage to talk back to my parents because I knew what the result of that would have been. My parents loved me unconditionally and I respected them too much to talk back. It seems to me that there is certainly more to this than is being told. This little boy obviously had a lot of rage in him. It is being reported that he father gained custody of him when he and his wife divorced.

Police believe Benjamin's 6-year-old sister saw the entire event. The sister is now with family members, authorities said. According to KOAT, Romaine Serna with the Children, Youth and Families Department said the agency had been called to check on the family more than seven times since 2003, after anonymous reports of child abuse and neglect."We had concerns about this family. There were red flags," Serna said. Serna said the agency interviewed family, close friends, school officials and doctors, but "not one of them had concerns about this household," she said.

Serna said CYFD didn't have enough evidence to remove the children from the household."There were no bruises. There were no marks," said Serna. Serna also said there were a lot of weapons in this home."It was a family sport, they were avid shooters," she said.bNew Mexico state law says only handguns are restricted for people under the age of 18. By law, Benjamin was allowed to own a rifle and use it with parental supervision. Source: KOAT-TV

Benjamin is too young to be arrested, but he is in state custody and is currently undergoing a mental evaluation. Children and guns make a deadly combination. I don't understand why the gun laws in this country don't restrict ownership by minors. This boy clearly does not have the capacity to make a sound decision, as evidenced from the fact that he shot his father to death.