Slain teen parents hope U.S. gun control fight will continue, 30 years on

Truly a sad story..I can’t imagine the grief over the years. Unfortunately gun violence in the US has only gotten worse.

… looking back at the past 30 years in the United States, where gun violence has not stopped despite moves to tighten gun control.

Unfortunately, there hasn’t been hardly any progress over the past three decades. According to the Pew Research Center, U.S. gun murder rates in 2020 were about the same as they were in 1992. And active shooter incidents have surged. So sad.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/02/03/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/

I remember this well, and while their efforts are truly noble, and of course those in the states who are pushing for it as well, the sad fact remains, as long as the "right" to own a gun in America stays as it is, nothing will ever change.

It will always be, "wash-rinse-repeat" as the people as a whole are numb to it all, and dont care enough to put those into power who could change it!

It is very unfortunate that a country that considers itself to be "first world" cannot yet solve its immense and almost unsolvable problem of armed violence and much more difficult with domestic terrorists such as the NRA and the medieval conservatives who are rotting the country..

We hope that the new generations have more awareness, love for the country and enough intelligence to put an end to armed violence and all the immense social problems that are sinking the US..

Again, the more news I read from US, the more I love my safe, clean, civilized and free of guns JAPAN !!..

Unbelievable that the scum child killer was not locked away. Only a barbaric nation would legally permit their citizens to shoot dead unarmed children. I hope the shooter had a tortured life in the years after killing Yoshi, and suffered.

Rest in Peace, Yoshi.

The US is an incredibly violent and dangerous place. Anyone would be mad to visit.

Sadly, how many since?

The (lack of) gun laws in the U.S. are one of the reasons I raised my kids here in Japan. They might not speak perfect English, but at least they are alive...

This story touched the hearts and souls of so many Americans, Japanese, and many others back then and still does, everyone felt the pain and sorrow of this tragedy except the NRA and all their puppets in congress who are benefiting from guns and firearms sales.

America will never be safe for as long as guns are readily available on the streets and at gun shows. this obsession with firearms and killing tools is so deeply ingrained it will take a very long time to educate the public and remove these killing machines off the streets.

Imagine the pain they have in 30 years. But unfortunately, gun control was blind to this.

I still remember and think about this story from time to time. Some dumb-redneck took the law into his own hands and gunned down a foreign exchange student on his front lawn, and then got away with it because in the state of Louisiana you're permitted to shoot anyone on your property you deem as a threat. Unbelievable. That poor kid and my heart goes out to the parents. The boy and his family were all looking forward to having an American experience and it turned into a terrible nightmare.

Their is no statue of limitations for murder,their probably a new prosecutor,he can reopen the case,and take it before a new grand jury

domestic terrorists such as the NRA and the medieval conservatives who are rotting the country..

The NRA is and was never a terrorist organization, quite the opposite.

https://gun.laws.com/nra/national-rifle-association-importance-and-effect

The real problem is, people that are opposed to the NRA and guns will not sit down and have any conversation with NRA or gun supporters and that’s unfortunate, because there’s a lot of misunderstanding from its inception and to why the organization is so important and vital to millions of Americans.

Again, the more news I read from US, the more I love my safe, clean, civilized and free of guns JAPAN !!..

That’s ok, they’re two different countries with different rules, laws, food and culture. I wouldn’t want the US to be like Japan and Vice versa. Love Japan the way it is concerning many things and I love the US for many laws and things.

Honestly, I am appalled at what my country has become in terms of gun violence. This time, I agree with you all. Instead of having fist fights, people just pull out a gun and kill people. Been out of America over 22 years now, so maybe I don't know the reasons behind the growth of gun violence in America. But I can tell you one thing for sure, no country will invade the US with all the guns we have available.

The real problem is, people that are opposed to the NRA and guns will not sit down and have any conversation with NRA or gun supporters and that’s unfortunate,

It's kind of hard to do that when one rejects any and all gun control proposals.

Such a sad and tragic story repeating since decades and for sure, next century situation will be the same in this archaic country....I cant understand those who put so many negative clics to tokyoliving comment, we should all care our kids and human lives.

The US has a real warped sense of what freedom means.

Everyone has a right to own a gun and yet people don't have a right to a national healthcare system?

Its retarded.

I just think it all boils down to one neglected part of learning English. Just take the English word "please". In Japan almost all Japanese cans say "purisu" and they'll be very well understood here in Japan. I just thought English is not just taught as an additional language but a skill to make communication with English speaking foreigners. Vis a vis with the Japanese style of pronouncing English words must be taught the real way they are pronounced. Just look at the tragic result of overlooking this very small and highly neglected side of English education in Japan. My heart goes to this family who just dream of a better opportunity for their son. And I might be bashed but quite sad too for that man who snuff the life of the poor kid just for trying to protect his property. Miscommunication with a high price.

Even the Japanese are sticking their nose into American politics.

Little has changed since the tragedy.... or may be getting worse. In the Hattori case, the defendant claimed self-defense with a rifle. In more recent mass killings, perpetrators tend to be heavily armed, well-prepared and cold-blooded. Unlike the Hattori era there are a fewer number of trials as many killers have no fear of ending their lives themselves rather than getting caught.

Even the Japanese are sticking their nose into American politics.

The Japanese? No, a couple who lost their son to US gun violence is speaking out, and good for them. I can't imagine losing your child because they don't understand the word "freeze."

I remember that as if it were yesterday. THAT is a scary.

Aly , everyone do not a have right to posses guns,their are legal medical thing that prohibit people from owning guns, nobody complaining about the US big guns

Everyone has a right to own a gun and yet people don't have a right to a national healthcare system?

Its retarded.

I like the comparison :) More significant is the access in public places. While in the US, I saw firearms on sale even in value markets, often at value prices. Located right next to the aisle for electronic devices where I couldn't find PC parts :(

Their is no statue of limitations for murder,their probably a new prosecutor,he can reopen the case,and take it before a new grand jury

No chance. Double jeopardy laws prevent anyone from being charged a second time for a crime they have already been found not-guilty of.

The problem is the lack of gun laws to protect the people.

Aly , everyone do not a have right to posses guns,their are legal medical thing that prohibit people from owning guns, nobody complaining about the US big guns

Yes they do. Its in the constitution. The second amendment

Second Amendment to the United States Constitution - Wikipedia

Yabaru,it depends if their are mitigated circumstances involving race,the Fed can then can prosecute

Ex-convicts cannot own a gun. Others

https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/policy-areas/who-can-have-a-gun/firearm-prohibitions/

bass4funk: "The NRA is and was never a terrorist organization"

It most certainly is a terrorist organization, and only like-minded people support it. No one needs 21 guns and the purpose of 99% of them is not for hunting or self-defense.

Just yesterday was the perfect example of why Americans are so stupid about guns. Two men were driving their daughters around. One man cut off the other slightly, it turned into a road rage incident. Because they both had guns they started opening fire on each other. Both daughters got hit. One sustained a minor injury, the other is still in serious condition.

Gun nutters should all gather in big circles and draw on each other until the last one is gone. Seriously. Leave the rest of the nation to live without the threat of being shot because some insecure, mentally unstable clown needs to feel big about him/herself and own a gun. The argument that, "Well, shucks! You can do the same thing with instant ramen or water noodles or a toaster if you have the will!" is just moronic.

But, sadly, you guys will never change even when it's your own kids dying, as has been proven every single day by school shootings and other massacres. Some people finally wake up and ask "Why?" while cradling their guns in despair... or the kids... but it is far too little, far too late.

"I hope they will reach out more to U.S. politicians." His 74-year-old wife 

Unfortunately too many US politicians are financially controlled by the guns and ammo industries, and by the rabid guns mobs that support those politicians. Plus there is the US gun lover's favorite country Russia getting rich selling ammo to US gun lovers, and being supported by the 'muh' Russia US rightists. https://www.rt.com/russia/543254-record-exports-ammunition-us/ Russia is run by a nasty former spy who knows USAmericans weaknesses, and has used his keyboard armies, spies and useful idiots throughout the west to further split the long-divided USA.

smithinjapanToday  09:33 am JST

Excellent post. Hits a couple of nails right on the head.

I remember this well, too. A friend of mine in Toyohashi called me because his daughter had been chosen to be an exchange student in the US, to leave soon after the incident. I shared his concern; and told him that, yes, many Americans have guns, and that it was dangerous to trespass on someone else's property, however innocent it may have been. Yes, this was a tragic shooting. Yes, language seemed to have a large role in this case. In the end, his daughter enjoyed her exchange year at an American high school. We are still friends, and I will see him again when I travel to Japan in late November.

Unbelievable that the scum child killer was not locked away. Only a barbaric nation would legally permit their citizens to shoot dead unarmed children. I hope the shooter had a tortured life in the years after killing Yoshi, and suffered.

I believe the fellow who shot Yoshi did suffer much anguish after this happened. Yet, Halloween is a time when many teenagers play pranks on complete strangers. It was a terrible misunderstanding all around. Both the American and the Japanese parents and all Yoshi's friends suffered. I hope that no one had a tortured life, but this was a tragic incident.

I can't imagine losing your child because they don't understand the word "freeze."

Yes, this was a terrible thing, and hard to imagine. Even harder still to live through, for the parents, the shooter, and the others tangentially involved.

Ex-convicts cannot own a gun. Others

https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/policy-areas/who-can-have-a-gun/firearm-prohibitions/

Wrong... Ex-convicts can and do own guns. It is illegal for them to do so, but they can. They are ex-convicts after all.

There is no meaningful form of rehabilitation in the USA and guns are plentiful/easy to obtain, so it's a complete nonsense.

Funny enough, everyone in the US has the right to think and say out loud they are oppressed, living in a tyrannical dictatorship or other nonsense alike, usually spouted by people who never bothered applying for a passport.

Reality is, the US is no middle east or communist hellhole, there is abs no logic in having war weapons @ home.

Make these available to anyone and if they fall into the wrong hands,

Handgun: incident with a few people killed at most

AR15: massacre

@smithinjapan

Good points.

Americans are quite clearly the least responsible people of all nationalities to be gun owners!

language seemed to have a large role in this case

No, the only role played was the gun culture and the apparent belief that anyone approaching your front door must be an existential threat.

quite sad too for that man who snuff the life of the poor kid just for trying to protect his property. 

It's the belief that a teenager coming to knock on your front door requires you to use lethal force to 'protect your property' that is the problem. Was Hattori tearing up the lawn? Uprooting trees? Smashing windows? Setting the garage on fire?

No. He was just walking up to the front door with a smile on his face.

it was dangerous to trespass on someone else's property

Walking up to the door is trespassing?

This guy did not “Get Away With Murder”, in fact as I recall, he received quite a few death threats and was ultimately forced to leave town.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Yoshihiro_Hattori

The guy that shot him was changed with manslaughter, and he DID go to trial.

It’s not like he got off “Scott Free”…he should have at least been convicted for Manslaughter, but I don’t think he was.

I love my safe ,clean ,civilized and free of guns JAPAN

Tell THAT to Shinzo Abe's widow.

Surely you must be living in a dreamworld if you think Japan is safe , clean , civilized and free of guns.

he is

I live here also, but however iam not naive.

Same

@cleo as per @awa no gaijin description, the victim was dressed in costume and it would be hard to know if he's just holding a toy gun at that particular night. In my home country there were drunk men brandishing toy guns killed by police only to realize they were after all toys. And there were instances when people going Christmas caroling (because the treat or trick prank isn't that widespread yet in my home country) were actually thieves for home invasions. Of course the intonation American guy who said "freeze" wasn't friendly to really mean what he said. But who are we to know what's on their mind. Probably a part of the prank? No one could say. English education in Japan must teach the way they are really pronounced. Teach the L's from the R's not to adopt English to Japanese palate.

 I wouldn’t want the US to be like Japan

But what if in Japan someone attacks you with a sword or attacks you with a car? Or tries to firebomb your office like the Osaka mental clinic? It's fine Americans have their AKs because they like them (or hunting for hunting rifles). Just be honest and say you have non hunting guns because you like them. (the biggest reason)

if shot with a [Glock semi auto] handgun

You got that right. In fact the VT shooter had two Glocks

How many in a single day will die?

There is definitely a different mindset in the US than in Japan. In Japan, no one expects to be attacked. In the US, people are paranoid because violent crime happens far too often.

One [semi auto] Glock

Ok, sorry

Should teens be allowed to carry semi autos? It saved Kyle Rittenhouse's life when Antifa people attacked him with skateboards

Certainly is a tragedy. Parents should never out live their children.

However this is not a gun control issue.

The two boys were at fault.

I'm not discounting the story.

But I've heard various versions of this story.

Why is it possible to kill without any real threat and not be sent to prison for a long term sentence ?

Why people are not people assessed and certified physically/mentally to be gun owners, with very strict rules ?

The simple accoutancy of how many lives have been saved versus lives lost would within just any given few months period tell you that guns should be outlawed. It is called common sense and law evolution

To understand the impossible situation that the USA is in now, watch the movie Lord of war.

Nonetheless, anyone going to a country on his own will accepts the local risks.

Going on an unknown property without the owner giving you the green light is a big death red flag in the USA, like life lesson #1 to know, especially in the South (I was raised a bit in the USA).

RIP to Yoshihiro.

My prayer to the parents, especially if it was their only child.

Kid wanders onto the wrong property by accident and doesn’t understand the word “freeze.”

Local Yokel who’s property is not at risk, who’s family is not at risk, who could have shut and locked the door, called the cops and hunkered down, instead decides to shoot the kid with a .44 because he felt “threatened.”

Under the absolute insanity of Louisiana Castle Law, escapes criminal liability (but the poor deer did have to leave town. I imagine that’s almost as painful as getting shot in the chest with a .44. Oh, wait…..)

And these parents who thought they were giving their son the experience of a lifetime, are left with this gaping hole in their lives that will never really heal.

I cannot even begin to imagine and don’t even care to try.

But sure, the problem isn’t people using deadly force when their lives are not at risk. The problem isn’t this idiot stand your ground principle. And it SURE isn’t the fact that any idiot can get a cannon of a gun.

No, it’s this kid’s fault for not understanding.

Because that makes perfect sense…..

Unless someone starts targeting politicians, the rich and their families U.S. gun laws will not change. Look, I don't want that to happen but change usually comes when the rich and powerful have something to lose or after total war.

It's actually worse in the U.S. than before. After Florida passed the 'Castle Doctrine' any gun-toting yokel has the authority to 'shoot first, ask later' if he believes he is threatened on 'his property'. And, yes, the Castle Doctrine and 'Stand Your Ground' (every post-50, out-of-shape white conservative's dream of a Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry re-enactment) is applicable in Louisiana. With Stand Your Ground and the Castle Doctrine, the Louisiana Shooter wouldn't even go to trial, let alone get arrested.

And...Mexican immigrants actually have a minimal, if not slightly beneficial, impact on crime.

Do Mexican Immigrants "Cause" Crime? | Department of Criminology (upenn.edu)

So...I am sure Bass will try to scour the internet for another 'source'. Here's the problem Bass, I will humble brag right now and say that I have a Phd in social sciences and the above paper/research was published after peer review to ensure that there wasn't omitted correlated variable bias, sample selection bias, endogeneity, self-selection issues, etc.

I own guns for hunting. I am totally in favor of gun control.

Without the guns they are utter cowards.

Hattori was holding a CAMERA, NOT A GUN:

"Peairs pointed the gun at him and yelled, "Freeze!" Haymaker had caught sight of the firearm and shouted a warning after Hattori,[8] but Hattori had limited English and was not wearing his contact lenses that evening; it is possible that he did not understand Peairs' command to "freeze"[9] and did not see the weapon,[2] or might even have thought that this was part of a Halloween prank.[10] Hattori was also holding a camera which Peairs mistook for a weapon." (Wikipedia)

“I remember this well, and while their efforts are truly noble, and of course those in the states who are pushing for it as well, the sad fact remains, as long as the "right" to own a gun in America stays as it is, nothing will ever change.”

I remember it well, too. They probably commemorate his birthday every year (my brother does fir his prematurely deceased son). Unless one has had a similar loss, there are few words one can offer.

But … the “right” to own a gun is in fact and custom a constitutionally protected right no matter how much one may oppose it. If it’s to change, it must be changed according to the path set out in the constitution.

I am not opposed to gun ownership, but support continuing efforts to make the qualifications for ownership stricter - under the law.

This is an interesting case because it's not a case of gun violence, per se.

The homeowner was completely within his constitutional to bear arms and to practice the castle doctrine, which is the law in Louisiana. Of course, to do that, one must prove that they're acting in self-defense to prevent immediate bodily harm or death. That's where the case gets grey because it appears as if our friend here was stepping forward and not heeding the owner's call to stop, which of course he wasn't.

Very tricky.

From the court proceedings, Mr. Pears was disturbed by his wife's seeming panic and fear. Any husband who hears his wife say, "get the gun!" is going to be in an agitated and protective state of mind, and ready to shoot to protect his family. Mind this happened at 800pm, so darkness also probably played a part, making it hard for Pears to see Hattori and discern his intentions.

The rest is tragic miscommunication.

the victim was dressed in costume

It was a white tuxedo, black trousers and ruffled white shirt, and he was carrying a camera. How scary is that?

All Peairs had to do was close the door, and if the scary teenagers didn't go away, call the cops.

Americans have a right to own guns, but this doesn't mean they should have a right to gun down children going to parties. Hattori was dressed as John Travolta, wearing a white tuxedo. No one on earth robs a house wearing a white tux after ringing the doorbell. Peairs went back into his house after shooting a 16-year-old child. After realizing he had made a mistake, he did not even call an ambulance. Hattori's friend had to go next door to a neighbor for help. The court cheered when Peairs was found not guilty of manslaughter, but he did not even need to step outside for a couple of kids in his yard. He decided to confront them, armed, and took a life, instead of calling the cops. That should be a crime. On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot dead in New York City. Since then, over 1.5 million Americans have been killed by guns. If you go there, be aware that 321 people get gunned down every day on average and 111 of them die. Mostly it is gang violence, but often times it is not.

The rest is tragic miscommunication

Seeing a young lad in posh duds smiling at you and feeling instantly threatened enough to shoot him dead is not 'tragic miscommunication', it is out and out incomprehensible stupidity.

Maybe the stupidity is due to living in a society where every Tom, Dick and Rodney is armed to the teeth and encouraged to 'stand your ground', but that just spreads the stupidity to society at large.

There was no. reason. at. all. for 16-year-old Yoshi Hattori to be shot in the chest at point-blank range for ringing the wrong doorbell.

The lesson to be learned from this is - don't send your young sons and daughters to study in the United States of America, they might come back in a box.

A little more research shows that around 60% of daily gun deaths are suicide by gun. But there are around 42 homicides each day on average. There was absolutely no reason to shoot this kid, or even confront him. I am so glad my family and I don't live there.

Cleo, sorry but no need for the hysteria. How many students from Japan have "come back in a box"? I think perhaps exactly zero since this tragic incident.

You also have the facts of the situation wrong. Hattori wasn't shot for ringing the wrong doorbell. He was shot when he was advancing down the driveway towards a home. Who knows what he was thinking? Perhaps he thought it was part of the "halloween party" atmosphere and didn't take the situation seriously, that the gun was a fake and the whole thing was a big gag.

We DO know what Pears was thinking. His wife was scared, his kids were in the house, and it was dark. Guy walking up the driveway, holding something, doesn't stop when he yells FREEZE.... a no win situation. A tragic accident but that is all.

Americans have a right to own guns, but this doesn't mean they should have a right to gun down children going to parties. 

You are, of course, right.

And they in fact don’t have the right to “gun down children going to parties”.

The known circumstances: a wife communicating fear to her husband, darkness which obscured the identity of the young man, and possible incomprehension of the shooter’s warning by him made this a tragedy of errors. Avoidable? Maybe. But it happened.

I can imagine how many times not only the parents but also the shooter and his wife have run this through their mind and been teased by a moment’s suggestion that it didn’t really happen and they will awaken to a world in which the young is still alive.

Jeans; true, a similar case from 1994 in that it involves Japanese students. The two young lads were full time college students living in SoCal. They were murdered in a theft of their car at a supermarket. Fortunately the killer was caught and sentenced to death. Unfortunately, the governor of Cali has halted all executions in his state so the murderer is still alive.

The US is an incredibly violent and dangerous place. Anyone would be mad to visit.

Come on @fighto!

That's a little harsh. America is a fantastic place to visit.

Very sad, but not all must suffer the karma of the one. That is selfish revenge.

The known circumstances: a wife communicating fear to her husband, darkness which obscured the identity of the young man, and possible incomprehension of the shooter’s warning by him made this a tragedy of errors. Avoidable? Maybe

Maybe my eye.

it was absolutely avoidable.

Why was the wife so afraid of a kid in a tux?

Why didn’t Peaires simply shut the door and call the police?

It’s indicative of a very sick society that this could happen, before we even get to the bit about the trigger-happy lunatic initially not even being detained by the police, and later being acquitted of any wrongdoing.

They aren’t the only ones! Deep South redneck attitudes that won’t ever go away. Slain teen parents hope U.S. gun control fight will continue, 30 years on.

After the boys went to the back of Peairs's house dressed in Halloween costumes, he ordered them to "Freeze!" Hattori apparently did not understand the command, moved toward him, and was shot.

I stand by my statement that Hattori and his colleague were trespassing. Do you think they would have been better off if American houses were built behind cement walls surrounding the property, with kekko boxes at the closed and locked gates? And like in some places in Okinawa, with the walls high and barbed wire on the top of the walls? Thank goodness that we don't have such walls around our houses here in Kansas.

This was a tragic incident for all. Guns lead to more tragic deaths than legitimate self-defense, and it would be great if people only owned them for hunting and for self-defense, and if cowboys, sports hunting, and martial arts were not glorified in some parts of some cultures. Why does anyone own swords, guns, or weapons of war? But to ban all weapons is a zero-sum game, like insisting on unarmed neutrality in international affairs. We all have the right to choose not to own any weapons ourselves, but banning them for all people is just naïve.

Maybe my eye.

it was absolutely avoidable.

Why was the wife so afraid of a kid in a tux?

Why didn’t Peaires simply shut the door and call the police?

Sorry, Cleo. I wasn’t aware that you were AT the scene of the shooting that night and are ABSOLUTELY certain of what transpired.

It’s indicative of a very sick society

America wasn't like this 70 years ago.

What changed? There's your answer.

*Sorry, Cleo. I wasn’t aware that you were AT the scene of the shooting that night and are ABSOLUTELYcertain of what transpired.*

I base my remarks on the recorded testimony of Rodney Peaires and others who were present at the scene.

Maybe you could direct your comments at those who equally were not present and are absolutely certain that Hattori brought it on himself.

I'd hate to live in a country with so many guns, especially in some of those war zone like inner city districts where just walking down the street in broad daylight is risky. Thank God for Japan!

Best for them to let go ~

There was possibly frustration at realizing it was indeed human error and or mistake.

Prayers

According to Wikipedia: "After the [civil] trial, Peairs told the press that he would never again own a gun".

It's a shame he didn't feel that way after winning the criminal trail. Nevertheless, finally he appears to have admitted that what he did was wrong. (And for him, at least, to prevent it form happening again means not owning a gun.) If justice can teach someone the difference between right and wrong, it is working.

Thirty years later it should have gotten better after the tragic and unnecessary gun death of Yoshihiro Hattori. Sadly it has gotten worse. We are now seeing school shootings, random shootings and hate shootings in the United States. The death of Yoshihiro Hattori was mistake--an error in misunderstanding. The poor young man did not understand "freeze." What we are seeing now is mass murder based on malice.

Met a young Japanese lad wanting to live in the US and not being able to understand English.

That is the least of his worries as Japanese are just so unprepared with life in gaikoku.

Anyone from the the US, the UK, Oz etc and having grown up in larger cities have a sixth sense and the ability to be on ‘alert’ as they roam around-Japanese do not have it and it makes them vulnerable.

Hattori had neither English nor street smarts as his companion who wasn’t shot did.

Hattori’s host family were partly at fault here the same way I would be not advising any acquaintance of mine walking around any major city and not knowing where the danger spots where…

We know several young Japanese at American Universities and all speak good English.

And they understand the command ‘freeze’ ?

Any Japanese going abroad needs some degree of cultural awareness before going abroad solo…

@kurisupisu

Nothing like a bit of victim blaming.