Man shots wife and kills 6-Year-old boy in fight over Watermelon

So, uh, yeah.

Quote :

COMMERCE, Ga. -- A Commerce man shot his wife and shot and killed her 6-year-old grandson during a family fight Sunday, authorities said. The suspect was later shot by police.



Police said Monday the confrontation began over a watermelon.



The shooting happened in the 200 block of Troy Street at about 12:55 p.m. in Commerce on Sunday.



Police said the suspect's wife, 58-year-old Linda Clark, called authorities to the home saying she had been shot.

When police arrived on the scene, they said 55-year-old Robert Clark opened fire on them.



Police said they were able to convince Robert Clark to allow his injured wife and one of two grandchildren who were in the house to come out. Soon after, police said he opened the front door with a gun in his hand and they shot him.



When authorities entered the residence, they found one of Linda Clark's grandchildren, Michael Levigne, 6, dead.



Police said they found a second grandchild, a 5-year-old boy, inside the house unharmed.



Channel 2 Action News reporter Jeff Dore went to Commerce Monday to talk with the police chief about the incident. Police said it appeared the shooting began with a fight over a watermelon.

"I'm not sure that it's easy to get your mind around that concept, but we believe it was some sort of issue with the child either dropping or prematurely cutting this watermelon that initially precipitated the argument," said Commerce Police Chief John Gaissert.

The suspect and his wife were life-flighted to Grady Memorial Hospital. They were both listed in stable condition.



Gaissert said the Clark home has been a frequent scene of trouble, with seven 911 calls to the house in the past year.



The second grandchild has been placed in the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services.



Police said the children were Linda Clark's maternal grandchildren. Robert Clark was not biologically related to the children, although he and his wife had custody of the children.



Police have not located the children's mother and, in the past, their father has been arrested on drug charges, police said. Gaissert characterized the family situation as "dysfunctional."


Robert Clark has been charged with murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated assault on police.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Quote :

Gaissert characterized the family situation as "dysfunctional."

Obvious statement is mindnumbingly obvious.

In b4 howling for his anal rape.

Srsly, though, how were these children not removed from the home BEFORE this if there were so many calls?

But is the watermelon okay?!

Because it seems awfully important.

Somebody want to explain the concept of "maternal grandchildren" to me?

The guy was the kids' step-grandfather, basically.

I'm going to guess that grandma married a bum that didn't like her kids and grandkids.

Yeah, fair enough. The article says this, though:

Quote :

the children were Linda Clark's maternal grandchildren

Isn't "maternal" generally meant to say "from my mother's side"?

^
She was the mother of the kids' mother/father, but he wasn't the father. It's a pretty awkward way of saying it, tho.

Mafiosa wrote:

But is the watermelon okay?!

Because it seems awfully important.

Wait, you're talking as if it wasn't important.
Don't forget that fruit has been a major source of domestic violence since the times of Adam and Eve.

The Unoriginal wrote:

^
She was the mother of the kids' mother/father, but he wasn't the father. It's a pretty awkward way of saying it, tho.

She was the mother of the kids' mother. If she were the mother of their father, she would be the paternal grandmother.

Of course, as soon as I read the title, I thought that something this mind-numbingly stupid would only happen in Florida.
I'm rather surprised it didn't.

Also, wow. I thought my family was screwy.

That's one motherfucking important watermelon. Really though, the small triggers to complete and utter snapping of sanities is always strange to hear. Especially when the snapping goes as far as to take the lives of others- of six year old others.

Indeed, why weren't they taken out of there earlier? =/