13-Year Old Shot Dead By Convicted Felon
Nathan Andrew Clark was staying in the Comfort Suites hotel while participating in the Capital Area Soccer League tournament in Lewisville, North Carolina. He was lying down in his hotel room when a woman called 911, saying that she “had no idea” what happened but that he was bleeding profusely from a bump on the back of his head. She thought that he might have hit his head.
In a nearby room was Randall Louis Vater, who as recently as October 25th, was in police custody. Vater is a convicted felon, but was in possession of a firearm that he said was accidentally discharged and traveled through the wall, killing Nathan. Vater’s time in prison included violating a restraining order, making threats, and a hit-and-run. He is currently held at the Wake County Detention Center, charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Nathan’s team withdrew from the soccer competition following his death.
America needs effective gun control. Vater had no business having a gun, PERIOD. It’s time for legislation that will prosecute those responsible for providing convicted felons with guns, including charging them with homicide when the gun they sold or provided otherwise is used in the taking of human life.
WGHP has a video on the incident.
Our condolences to Nathan’s family and friends.
Posted on 11/17/2014, in Uncategorized and tagged gun control, Nathan Clark, North Carolina, Randall Louis Vater. Bookmark the permalink. 16 Comments.
😥 How horrible..
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Good morning Mindyme!! I can’t begin to imagine the trauma of his schoolmates, family and friends.
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My love and prayers go out to his family and friends as well. Bows reverently and agrees, we need to find a better form of gun control… Maybe it is time to start charging $25,000 a bullet as I have seen many recommend. Namaste
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Good morning Joe! $25,000 a bullet, or only rubber bullets. Great idea! Namaste.
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He couldn’t legally buy a gun, so how did he get one? Was it bought at a gun show? This is one area where private sales can take place without background checks, I would support laws closing that loop-hole. Did he buy it from a private citizen? I would also support laws closing that loop-hole. But I bet the odds are he bought it on the street and if a search was done on the serial number you’ll find it was stolen and sadly I don’t see how a law will ever change that.
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This is awful. How on Gods green earth does this happen ?? !! ?? Thank God NJ has sensible gun laws.
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Racer,
I wonder why that idiot thought it was necessary to have gun in his hotel room — unless he planned using it to commit another felony.
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Another precious life has been lost. This is so heartbreaking. I tremble thinking of what yet another family is going through. I am sending prayers and caring thoughts for his loved ones.
Nathan, dear child, rest in peace.
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Reblogged this on MrMilitantNegro™.
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Hey Jueseppi. Thanks for the reblogs. Hope you have a wonderful week!
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13 years old.
I’ll bet Nathan really loved soccer. My guess would be he was very good.
13…….what do you know at 13…. Wollaston (the coach) said in a news release that Nathan was “a fantastic kid, a great teammate, had a wonderful personality, was extremely respectful, and was always fun to be around.”
You know you love your parents, enjoy sports, the holidays are approaching……..Oh Yeah……you can’t wait for the family to sit down to that Thanksgiving meal………..and dessert.
Will there be a time before school let’s out for the holidays that I can build up the courage to sneak a kiss from the girl I watch all during Math class? I wonder if she likes me? I wonder if we’ll win the tournament this weekend?
Christmas……….I can’t wait for Christmas! I’m going shopping with my Mom to get a gift for my Dad……..And Dad and I went fishing last week….ha ha…..I was the only one who caught anything! (As Dad quickly points out the only thing I caught was a branch, followed by a cold a few days later………..) It was such a great day.
13 years old, and gone. Gone because a convicted felon didn’t follow the rules. Gone because the rules…….the laws……are way too slack!
If I have only one wish left in my life, that is guaranteed to be granted, I pray for this: “I pray every child, adolescent, young adult, adult, homeless, elderly………and on and on…..the innocent, who do not deserve to have their life taken, will feel no pain, and be carried to the gates of heaven immediately.
Soar over the mountains on the wings of angels Nathan. And as you look down on the waterfalls, know they are the tears of your family and friends whom you will welcome home one day.
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Kindheart,
Bless you for your kind words to Nathan, and your prayer. AMEN!
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This reminds me of when I moved to Arizona. It was another life, My then pregnant wife, four year old son and I had just moved to Phoenix. The night we’d moved in on 37th Drive, there was a drive by shooting down 38th Street? I believe it was… I know it was the next street across. I couldn’t believe it. Anyway, the bullet from a .22 ricocheted, went through the wall of a nearby house, and killed a young boy while he was asleep in his bed. So sad.
My sincere condolences to the Clark family.
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Hey Kev,
Yep. Bullets have no mind of their own. I’m glad that you and your family were safe, while hating to hear that the kid asleep in his bed lost his life.
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It was way too close for comfort… could have been my four year old son. 😦
It was almost like, “Welcome to Phoenix!” City of drive-by’s
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That is so scary Kev, it gave me chills. Thank God you are all alright.
This world has gone nuts!
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