Harapat case can offer little in the way of justice

Following the reading of the verdict in the Shane Harapat trial on Tuesday, Harapat’s mother Judy had only one thing to say. The trial had never been about justice, she contended, but rather about revenge. Harapat and both of his parents had been tried for the shooting death of Kenny Alcantra. Harapat was found guilty of manslaughter, but not of the greater charge of second-degree murder. His mother was found not guilty of reckless endangerment, and his father’s case ended in a hung jury.

Alcantra’s parents also came away from the trial feeling as though justice had not been served. They said they were convinced Harapat’s parents bore some of the responsibility for their son’s death. The .44-caliber Magnum pistol had been a gift on Harapat’s 16th birthday. He’d been allowed to keep the loaded gun in his bedroom. The young man, in the minds of the grieving Alcantras, should have been better supervised.

Is justice even possible in a case like this? What is the just end to a story that finds two families in ruins — as the result of irresponsibility and negligence?

For the Harapats and the Alcantras, justice is out of reach. One son is dead and the other will begin his adulthood in prison. For the rest of the community, there are two approaches we can take. We can take refuge behind the technical definition of justice, which was met. A jury heard the case and reached a decision. But that is not enough. Justice is not the most important result we should hope for from this case. There are lessons here more important than the lessons of justice.

This case was about responsibility and negligence. No matter what the evidence suggested to the jury, Harapat’s parents were responsible to supervise their son. A teenage boy should not have a loaded handgun in his bedroom. Roger Harapat claimed his son was experienced with guns and that he trusted the boy. Judy Harapat claimed she didn’t know the gun was in the room. Both claims are indicative of negligence.

Nothing can be done to reverse the outcome of this incident, but the lessons learned here can prevent other tragedies. Parents, you are responsible for your children. If your child owns a gun, you should know where that gun is at all times. There is simply no good justification for a teenager to have a loaded gun in the house, and there is no excuse for a parent not to be aware of that situation.

Our deepest sympathies go to everyone involved, and we strongly urge parents to take responsibility for their children.