Missouri Supreme Court Questions Case Against Shooting Suspect
Dec 14, 2015
St. Peters, MO, (Law Firm Newswire) December 14, 2015 – The state Supreme Court heard a case on Oct. 28 that raised questions of what constitutes criminal intent. The case involved Blaec Lammers, a southwest Missouri man accused of plotting shootings at a movie theater and Walmart.
His defense attorney argued Lammers, 23, only thought about carrying out the shootings and did not actually fire any shots nor have the intent to harm others. However, the state attorney general’s office said he took substantial steps that showed he intended to follow through with the attacks. Lammers purchased two rifles and used them in target practice.
“The case raises broader questions about whether the thoughts of committing a crime constitute a substantial step in carrying out punishable criminal action,” said Charles James, a prominent criminal defense attorney in St. Peters, Missouri.
Lammers is appealing his 15-year prison sentence for armed criminal action and first-degree assault before the Supreme Court. He was convicted based on the statements he made while being interviewed by investigators. His original plan was to open fire during the opening night of the film “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” in Nov. 2012. Authorities said Lammers chose Walmart instead as he could get more ammunition there if he ran out.
According to court documents, Lammers was arrested after his mother expressed her concern to police that he was not taking his medication. He has a history of mental illness. The judges questioned whether Lammers’ actions necessarily indicate intent to harm others. They did not indicate a timeline for reaching a decision.
However, the assistant attorney general claimed that taking a substantial step to commit a shooting does not necessarily have to include breaking the law. In response, Lammers’ attorney said that as soon as he began to fear he might misuse the rifles, Lammers gave them to his girlfriend’s father.
“Punishing people for things that they think does not make sense. In this case, simply buying guns does not indicate criminal intent. There must be significant evidence to show a connection between buying the guns and following through with the shootings in order to show that Lammers is guilty,” said James.
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