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Cantonment Teen, 16, Gets 36 Months In Shooting Of West Florida Student
June 23, 2011
A Cantonment teen has been sentenced to up to 36 months for the February shooting death of a West Florida High School student also from Cantonment.
Nicolas Anthoni Diaz, 16, will serve his sentence in a high-risk juvenile facility on a manslaughter charge for the shooting death of Ryan Edward Flaherty, 17. After his release, he will be on probation until his 21st birthday.
Flaherty had been at a Pensacola home with several friends on February 27 when Diaz shot him in the head with a handgun, the Sheriff’s Office said. He later died at a Pensacola hospital.
Investigators believe Diaz was under the influence of alcohol when he began to handle a handgun found in the house. The gun discharged as Diaz pointed it at Flaherty; the bullet struck Flaherty in the head.
Flaherty was a student at West Florida Tech High School Multi-Media Academy and a member of the varsity soccer team.
Comments
27 Responses to “Cantonment Teen, 16, Gets 36 Months In Shooting Of West Florida Student”
Gun owners should be required to carry insurance for liability.
I have had classes with Ryan for seven years. He was such a great person, and so is Nick. So it was an accident, it happens. People need to grow up and realize that everything happens for a reason. Nick regrets it and he has to live with it forever. He learned from this experience, we all did. It brought our school together in a way nothing else could. We all love and miss Ryan, but it was an accident.
Okay coming from their best friend you all need to back off. Nick is a great kid and so was Ryan. Nick has to live with this guilt for his whole life. We all loved Ryan more than words. He was an amazing person but god had other plans for him. It’s a tragedy it happend this way. But nick needs more support than you think. This is something he can’t just wake up and forget it will always be there to haunt him. I’m an 18 year old girl and I lost two of my friends that night. And I pray nothing bad happens to nick no matter how much people believe he needs more for this accident.
Nick has to live with the regret for a LIFETIME for killing his BESTFREIEND. it was a accedent. And people do not understand what truly happend. I think anyone that has anything negative to say, should just keep it to themselves. Its ridiculous on how many people blame the adults on what happend. Nick knows what he did was wrong. And he feels horrible about it. I think what he is going throught right now, is enough for his plate.
REGARDING:
“the thought of shooting his best friend would never cross his mind.”
The thought would have to cross his mind if he pointed a gun at anyone. Even if he didn’t intend to do it, the thought of shooting is associated with guns. In fact when little kids point sticks at each other and yell BANG, the thought of shooting is in their heads, just not the consequences.
Just because somebody else did something bad doesn’t absolve him for what he chose to do. If he drank, he chose to drink. If he picked up a gun, he chose to pick it up. If he pointed it at someone, he chose to point it. If he pulled the trigger, he chose to pull the trigger. All the choices added up.
Blame everybody else you want to blame, but nobody else pointed the gun or pulled the trigger.
David for good thoughts,
careful actions
and better best friends
this was a acccident guys .. alright . if the adults wouldnt have brought the drinks then this probably wouldnt have happened . and what about the person that didnt have their gun put up some where save? they should also be blamed. i knew both of these guys. and the thought of shooting his best friend would never cross his mind. it was a mistake.
My friend is Ryan’s sister and me and my used to be friend cried alot cuz to see her go through anything like that hurts.She missed 2 weeks of school to calm down(not get over the fact that he’s dead)but just to stop the crying.She never talked about him much for the fact that he goes to WFHS and she goes to Tate.But from the heart why point it at your BF if there were more people there??,where are the witnesses??I’m SOOOO SORRY Sam that this happened to your brother & that you and your family has to go through this.He had a bright future ahead of him & a long life to live..So they say “Things happen for a reason”,What was this…………….??
Love&&Prayers out to the Flaherty’s………
FLY HIGH,Ryan,see ya soon!!!
Response for “Commoners”
First let me state I am no friend nor do I know the families involved. Do I feel he should be punished? Of course. Do I feel the sentencing is too harsh? Not by a long shot. I do however feel, under the circumstances, he does not deserve life. He will have to live with this for the rest of his life. Not only does he have that horrible night embedded into his memory, but the funeral as well. He was a pall bearer for Petes sake. I have to boys of my own and I wouldn’t want any of this to happen to them. I feel everyone, when in the wrong, be punished. I even called the cops on my oldest when he was 6 for taking a pack of gum from Tom Thumb. Feel free to voice your opinion as I will voice mine. Although Me feel the “village” remark was a little uncalled for.
I dont think the owner of the gun should be punished or sued, I am very sorry this took place, Kids should be taught not to fool around with guns. But kids should also know at some point the ramifications of their actions…common sense, You dont play with a gun. My Son is 13 and He knows about a lot of things and has common sense that I have taught Him. This is a bad thing that happened, but if We dont punish the crime it will not send a message, what do We do?
REGARDING:
“his fate was decided by the courts, he does not need to be re-judged by the common public”
Commoners shouldn’t be allowed to express opinions?
I just don’t see it.
Maybe we’re right, maybe we’re wrong but if it takes a village, the members of the village need to be allowed to say what we approve or disapprove. Further, we need to decide if we like the directions our courts take and the laws our legislators pass. We can’t do that unless we can express our opinions of the results of their actions.
Maybe the court was too harsh and he should be given his gun back and told to go back to playing. Maybe the court was too lenient and he should have gotten a harsher sentence. Me not know.
Just the same, until they get around to repealing our freedom of speech, methinks we will continue to discuss such matters and apologize in advance if it hurts the feelings of the friends of the killers.
David for no hereditary royalty or nobility
Sorry if I did not make it clear what I meant when I said it would be crazy to just all it an accident.All I meant to say is that I feel it is too simple to put it in one word without considering all the circumstances that allowed that accident to happen.Yes it did affect so many people and will continue to do in future.But there all those Unanswered questions….I have witnessed so much sadness and anger in the last four months (I live with Ryan’s aunt) all I really want to say is : yes accidents do happen BUT we should all try to avoid as many as possible.Maybe we need more Michael Moores to remind all of us !I do not know Nick ?As far as I can judge this he is definitely punished enough by having to go through life the memory of what he has done….
I have been drunk before, and I havent shot anyone….Its just an excuse. After 10 years old/ I think You should know whats wrong and right. Makes Me sick…oh Hes just a baby. I say thats a crock.. Let it be Your child that get shot…and You will have a diffrent tune.
Kill Someone……get 36 months…..wow…….isnt the USA a great place..
Since knowing the actual story, it really upsets me that some of you have come to your own conclusion just by the “edited” comments in the paper and in the news. Why yes I do feel it was a tragic event, both families are having to suffer. We have all made stupid mistakes in our life so who are we to judge? The reason he is going to a high risk facility is due to no “hidden message” or that the judge felt he was a “high risk” but only for the simple fact of the time he has to serve. You can not serve 18 to 36 months at a regular juvinule facility. Just as if you commit a petty theft crime but are given longer than 12 months, you too will find yourself in a high risk prison. Do I feel Diaz needs to be punished? Yes but his fate was decided by the courts, he does not need to be re-judged by the common public.
REGARDING BERND:
Why would Nik shoot his BEST FRIEND ?!? Obviously, your not so familiar with it if you didn’t know that there was a group of best friends there at the house. Ryan & Nik always did everything together. They were best friends, bros. They evrn dedicated their lives to soccer. What Nik did was on pure accident. I think 36 months is enough. I believe this because after it happened, people talked so much crap to him about it and tried to fight him. He lost his best friend that was like his brother due to his stupid mistake of playing with a gun. He is feeling so many different things you can’t really explain. He doesn’t get to go though life with the person who was like his brother. You all need to chill out with the negative comments. Imagine what the poor boy is going through and thinking.
It seems that a lot of you are not familiar with the details(I do know….) about this case and therefore should maybe a little bit careful with your comments.It is totally crazy to just call it an accident.Nevertheless I think it would make more sense to sentence a 16year old to 3 years of some kind of community or charity work .I hope they teach the kids something useful in those facilities do they? I live in a country where not even the normal policemen carry weapons and I am quite happy about it.yes people get stabbed for example but a knife will rarely find a way into somebody’s body by accident
First of all Ryan and Nick were friends. Both were my sons friends. It was an accident. Yes, Nick only has to serve 36 months in a juvinile facility, but he also has to live with the fact that his friend is dead and it was because of a stupid mistake. The gun should have been secured and what about the ADULT that bought the alcohol? shouldnt they be charged? I mean after all if they hadnt have bought the alcohol there wouldnt have been any drinking, if the gun was secured they wouldnt have access to it. So lets start putting blame on the ADULTS that contributed to this tragedy. My thoughts and prayers go out to NIcks family and to Ryans family.
Really My brother did this much time driving with a suspended licence…his licence was suspended for not paying fines..wow I will have to tell him about this. This is crap I wonder how much time the kid who got the carjacking charge will get.
REGARDING people-are-crazy:
Diaz and Flaherty were best friends. The Flaherty family loved Diaz.
Part of being a RESPONSIBLE gun owner is keeping your gun locked up to where a CHILD can not use it when you are not around. In this case a drunk 16 year old kid got a gun and accidentally shot another kid. Its trajec and unfortunate but the gun owner was just as careless as the kids. They deserve to be punished aswell. Lets not forget he was convicted of manslaughter. it isnt uncommon for manslaughter sentences to be short.
Everyday we put a 16 year old behind the wheel of a deadly weapon. And everyday someone dies from their lack of good judgement or stupidity and they are slapped on the hand. In this case it was both. This boy is no menace to society and locking him up in a prison system with some of the meanest kids in the state doesn’t make much sense. (You put a nice dog in the cage with a bunch of mean dogs and you take him out later you have a mean dog). Have himm go aroud the state talking to high school kids and telling his story. If it helps one kid, that might be one life saved.
REGARDING:
“will serve his sentence in a high-risk juvenile facility ”
High risk? sounds like the judge believes it may have been more than just a careless shooting killing. The judge knows more than we do.
David for everything in its place
including felons
Thats it!! 36months and probation until 21!!! So thats what a life is worth these day’s. Hope that the family that lost their son can find the piece.
I don’t think it’s really just a problem of locking the guns up. How about we keep the alcohol away from the teenagers. There were guns in my house growing up, I was taught to respect them and that if I misused them that someone would get seriously hurt or die. I think this sentence is a little too mild as well. 16 is old enough to know better. Prayers to the families involved.
Joe- Im guessing because he is a minor and it was a manslaughter not murder charge. I agree that the loss of human life is a serious event and should be sentenced accordingly. I have to admit that when I first read this article my initial thought was that it sounded a little hard. But then after further thought I believe its a fair punishment. I want to know if the owner of the gun is being prosecuted. Or who supplied the alcohol for these teenagers? Are they being prosecuted?
Keep you firearms locked up and secure!
this seems like a small price to pay for the loss of a human life!
I do not understand why such a mild sentence.