Teen gangster gunned down by armed homeowner

in Authors, S.H. Blannelberry

FOX 13 News

A Lakeland, Florida, teen with ties to a street gang was killed by an armed homeowner last Wednesday, local media reports

Davion Smith, 14, walked over to the house of 43-year-old Virgil Canteen at around 7:30 p.m., said police. The youngster, who was believed to have invaded Canteen’s home back on July 28, was armed with a gun.

When Smith arrived at the residence, he was greeted by Canteen, who was also toting a firearm. The two began to argue and Smith allegedly drew his gun, firing the first shot

Canteen fired back and both were hit multiple times. Smith was fatally wounded while Canteen was transported to a local hospital where he underwent surgery. He is now recovering but is not well enough to be formally interviewed, according to The Ledger.com.

Investigators believe that Canteen acted lawfully and, pending further review, will not charge the homeowner for shooting the teen, who had a criminal history, including a felony conviction at the age of 12.

Meanwhile, Smith’s family wants answers about the shooting, believing that the teen did not deserve to die.

“I’m not saying he was an angel, but he was my angel,” said Patricka Smith, the boy’s mother.

[H/T Guns.com]

About the author: S.H. Blannelberry is the News Editor of GunsAmerica.

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  • Paul December 4, 2017, 8:41 am

    First; What the heck is a Davion? Where do they get such stupid names?
    Second; Why is the “father” not interviewed?

  • Chuckster April 1, 2017, 12:26 pm

    “Angel” my fat, hairy arse! It’s no joke nowadays when ANYONE brings a firearm INTO A HOME THEY’VE BROKEN IN TO, AND…this is what gets me…SHOOTS FIRST AT THE HOMEOWNER!!! AND this “angel” is a confirmed gang member!!! Now lady, as a father of two & stepfather of two more, you DO indeed have a fight to love and mourn the stupidity of your “angel” (who simply proved yet again that Darwin WAS RIGHT), but give it a rest. Maybe you gave it all you had in raising him, but there was either a lesson you didn’t spend enough time on or missed altogether. Or, likely he was testing & pushing his boundaries, and listened to the wrong advice. He paid for his stupidity and bad decision-making WITH HIS LIFE. I’m willing to accede it might not be any fault of yours, but DON’T blame ANYONE else for HIS piss-poor decision-making!!! As long as the “thug life” is glamorized and held as an absolute ideal for anyone who feels disenfranchised or just angry at Mom & Dad without being exposed for the death-factory it is, you aren’t working hard enough to counter the deadly allure of the gang lifestyle.

    Whichever it is, do what HE DIDN’T and EXERCISE SOME PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY HERE!!! Let the anger channel into helping keep kids OUT of that life WHATEVER IT TAKES. Because THAT more often than not results in kids who are alive to learn another day…not terrorizing others, robbing, raping and threatening them with death for its own sake!

    It’s one thing to defend yourself from harm & death; quite another to threaten another’s! If I have to defend myself and my family with a gun (see also the recent story about the kid near Tulsa, OK), I will also have to wrestle with the actions I’ve taken, whether I didn’t take a life when I should’ve, or taken that life. Right or wrong, that’s a heavy load to bear for those people with a conscience and that Sense Of Personal Responsibility. If someone — ANYone — has no qualms about that responsibility, then the sooner the Swimming Pool of Life should be chlorinated.

  • Andrew N May 20, 2016, 10:25 pm

    I have a question for “Mom”- Why does your 14 year old with a FELONY CONVICTION have a firearm, and where exactly where you when he got a felony conviction at the age of 12? The kid could have used a “guardian angel” since he had such a piss-poor excuse for a mother.

  • Frank Romo May 20, 2016, 2:00 pm

    Until the parent’s of these thugs start to take responsibility for their off-spring, this will continue to be an issue. If the little thugs want to play “gangsta”, they will die as such. Even baby rattlesnakes can bite and kill a person, so these “teen thugs” are also in the same category as the snakes….At least he won’t be doing this again!

    • Mike September 2, 2016, 11:07 am

      They won’t take responsibility until made to. Which in a sense is a useless statement cuz the pantywaists judges won’t make them. He is now paying forever for his crimes in a place where there is no parole.

  • David August 15, 2014, 2:54 pm

    Really,,,,,didn’t deserve to die?????? What the F@#k did you think was going to happen when you are a worthless parent to your kid. A felony at 12??? Seriously wake the F@#k up! If you have other children I hope you do a better job with them. I just hope the guy that defended himself is going to be OK. We need more people like him that are sick of being pushed around by the arrogant youth of today that think they are going to get away with harrassing their neighbors with a loaded gun. He got what he deserved. The sad thing is that the guy that defended himself now has to live with what he had to do to a stupid kid to stay alive, not to mention the crap I’m sure he’ll have to deal with in court. This is all your fault. The defendant should sue you for being an ignorant worthless parent.

  • Jim Chandler August 13, 2014, 3:53 pm

    Isn’t it amazing how these little thugs are always great kids and don’t deserve to die, etc. I guess well have another Travon Martin scenario going on in Florida. That is unless Mr. Canteen is also black. Either way, good for him. He rid the streets of another little thug.

    • San Antonio Steve May 20, 2016, 4:36 am

      Mr. Canteen is in fact a Black man, you will not see Al Sharpton involved. A fourteen year old walking around with a handgun is trouble waiting to happen and it did. Pull a gun and hope the other guy does not have one is not a good motto. Mr. Canteen did not deserve to be shot up. The fourteen year old thug got what wanted, famous for being a dead wannabe thug.

    • James Dixon March 31, 2017, 7:39 am

      Tracing Martin was just walking to his dad’s house.

      • Charles Smith March 31, 2017, 7:57 pm

        Right. And anyone who believes that is welcome to buy the bridge that I have for sale. You can look at it anytime in Brooklyn. Or maybe the Golden Gate in San Francisco.

      • Dan Galbreath February 1, 2018, 3:51 pm

        yeah he was , but he turned around and went back didn’t he? If he’d just went inside or waited on the stoop of his dad’s house, ate his skittles and drank his energy drink he might still be alive today and no one would have of George Zimmerman.

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