I’m angrier than a kitten without a toy over this next story, my dear reader. In fact, I’m so angry that I decided to write and post this on a weekend when I usually stand down on weekends and holidays. I’m angry because an innocent man is likely going to die in prison and all over something stupid.
Marcus Eriz, 27, will be spending the next forty years to life in prison. His crimes? Second-degree murder and shooting at an occupied vehicle. You see, it seems that was given the finger in traffic and he shot at the vehicle that contained the driver who rendered that universally rude gesture.
Eriz unfortunately struck a six-year-old boy when the bullet that Eriz fired went through the trunk and into the seat containing the child. While it’s a shame that that child did not survive, Eriz is an innocent man. Or at least he should have been acquitted.
Why did this all happen?
The child’s mother was the one who rendered the highly offensive and unforgivable gesture, so the blame rests squarely upon her shoulders.
This all happened in 2021. What’s worse than giving him the middle finger is that the mother had cut off the vehicle in which Eriz and his girlfriend were traveling. His girlfriend flashed the peace sign, showing remarkable and unnecessary restraint.
Eriz was overcome with rage, and rightfully so, so he simply lost his mind for a few seconds. No one can blame him for that. Eriz then fired his weapon and that’s when the boy was unintentionally killed. The mother should have thought about the consequences of giving the finger, especially since her child was in the vehicle. But she did not.
No, the little boy paid the price for his mother’s deed, but it was not supposed to go down that way. Eriz shouldn’t have faced charges of any sort, but it looks like this case, if he had to be convicted, cried out for involuntary manslaughter. Even that would be too much. But prosecutors had bloodlust in their veins.
The child’s mother said that she will always regret making that gesture. Yeah, well, she should. She should have thought about her child and she should have faced criminal charges too, something on the order of endangering the welfare of a child. But no, prosecutors decided to go after a man who reacted in an appropriate way. Again, the child was not the target. And considering all the facts, Eriz shouldn’t have been charged with anything.
Almost instantly after giving the finger, the mother, Joanna Cloonan, became aware of the fact that her child had been shot. Every effort was made to save his life, but he died at the age of ten. In another instance of punishing the wrong person, Eriz’s girlfriend was charged with an accessory crime. Again, that should never have happened because the mother is the one who should have been charged. If she hadn’t given the finger, her boy would still be alive. This is all her fault, in my opinion.
In court, Eriz apologized for killing the child, but he has nothing to apologize for. He got caught up in the heat of the moment after being provoked by the actions of the kid’s mother. Eriz is blameless and should not be in prison. This innocent man was provoked. The jury should have seen that.
The child’s blood is on his mother’s hands. When you give the finger in traffic, you deserve what you get. In this case, the mother is sentenced to a lifetime of knowing that her actions resulted in the child’s death. I hope each and every day is a living hell for her. And hopefully, Eriz will appeal and prevail.