Teen Charged In Shooting Deaths Of Family

Police Charge 15-Year-Old Md. Boy With Killing Parents And Two Younger Brothers

(CBS/AP)  Baltimore County police have charged a 15-year-old boy with shooting his parents and his two younger brothers to death as they slept at their home in a suburb north of Baltimore.

Nicholas W. Browning of Cockeysville was charged as an adult with four counts of first-degree murder in the slayings Friday of his father, John W. Browning, 45; his mother, Tamara, 44; and his brothers Gregory, 13, and Benjamin, 11.

Police spokesman Bill Toohey said Browning was formally arrested at 1:05 a.m. Sunday after he admitted to the killings.

Nicholas Browning had not been getting along with his father, according to a police news release. On Friday night, he went into the house after other family members were asleep and shot each of them using his father's handgun, which was in the house, police said.

After the slayings, he threw the gun away in bushes near his house, police said. The gun has been recovered, Toohey said.

Toohey said the youth then spent Friday night and all day Saturday with friends. When the friends took him home at 5 p.m. Saturday, Browning went inside and then came back out to say that his father was dead. He called 911.

Police officers found Browning's father dead in a ground-floor room and his mother and brothers dead in upstairs bedrooms. There was no sign of a confrontation in the house, Toohey said.

Browning, a sophomore at Dulaney High School in the neighboring suburb of Timonium, was denied bail Sunday morning at a hearing. He was being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center in Towson in a special section for juveniles.

It could not be determined if Browning had a lawyer.

His bail will be reviewed Monday in District Court in Towson.

Even if convicted as an adult of first-degree murder, Browning is too young under state law to face the death penalty.

Two of Nicholas Browning's fellow students drove past the family's house Sunday afternoon. They started to weep when told by reporters that Nicholas was charged in the slayings.

"It's hard to believe someone could do this," said Brooke Kebaugh, 16.

Liz Lazlawbach, 17, said Browning complained about fighting with his father, but "not about anything violent."

John Browning had been an attorney for 19 years with Royston, Mueller, McLean & Reid. He was a partner in the firm, which is the county's oldest law firm and is in the county seat of Towson, about six miles from the family's home.

"John was a wonderful man. He and his wife, Tammy, were very much in love. Together they were caring and loving parents to their children," according to a statement from the firm's partners. "John was also a man of much faith. And he so much enjoyed the outdoors."

The partners said Browning was an accomplished lawyer who "counseled many businesses on a wide array of issues." According to his biography on the firm's Web site, he focused on real estate law and commercial and corporate law.

He earned a bachelor's degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., and earned his law degree at the University of Baltimore, according to the Web site.

"He was also a person invested in his family and community," the partners said. "He led his local scout troop. He was a leader at his church. In short, John Browning was a great man. We will all miss him very, very much."

The Brownings' troop, Troop 328, meets at Timonium United Methodist Church. The pastor there Sunday morning said the troop's leaders did not want to talk. However, the Rev. Frances Dailey said John Browning was "beloved and well revered. I'm told this is not the kind of family that this could happen to."

The grounds of the family's large two-story farmhouse-style home were neat and there was a basketball backboard outside.

Neighbor Mike Thomas said the Brownings would even pick up trash along the street.

"These people would do anything in the world for you - just incredible people," Thomas said.

"Very shocking," was how one resident described the chaotic scene awaiting him last night to CBS station WJZ correspondent Peggy Lee. "This is a great neighborhood, great neighborhood. Nothing like this ever happens around here. Nothing, ever. Very quiet."

Another resident, a woman who said she'd lived in the area for 35 years, told WJZ the victims were "Just a wonderful family, involved with these children, always involved with their children, so I can't even imagine what has happened."

Neighbors called each other throughout the night to discuss the killings, Thomas said.

He said one of his sons had been in Boy Scouts with one of the Brownings' sons and was devastated when he learned of the deaths.

Thomas said he recently sold Browning a trailer that Browning planned to use for Boy Scout outings, and it was still parked in the Brownings' driveway Sunday.

Someone had hung a small, silver-colored crucifix from the Brownings' mailbox.

[blue1965]

Teen Charged In Shooting Deaths Of Family, Police Charge 15-Year-Old Md. Boy With Killing Parents And Two Younger Brothers - .
What in the heck is going on in this world,I was born in the mid 60''s & grew up in the 70''s & I don''t remember things like this happening every week.It''s a scary world out there,I tell my kids to never eat there food in McDonalds because you never know when someone is going to loose touch with reality.Childern shooting up the schools,husband kills pregnant wife,mother drowns her 5 children,boyfriend rapes girlfriend cooks her & eats her,teen gives birth throws baby in trash & goes to party.I really believe the devil is on a roll,collecting souls & destroying lives.I''m really scared for my children & my grandchild,but you have to let them live there life.My 18 year old daughter tells me that I''m paranoid but I don''t think I am with all that goes on in this mixed up world.PLEASE,someone out there reading this,please tell me do you think that I''m paranoid & over reacting?

[gunnerv1]

Where is Schoollord when you need him?(NOT)

[gunnerv1]

Where is Schoollord when you need him (NOT)

[nlm2383]

I didn''t even know these people and this is bringing tears to my eyes. To think that he would actually steal the lives of his younger brothers disgusts me... There are always ways to solve problems with parents, this should never have been an option for him.

[nlm2383]

I didn''t even know these people and this is bringing tears to my eyes. To think that he would actually steal the lives of his younger brothers disgusts me... There are always ways to solve problems with parents, this should never have been an option for him.

[dmotte]

I cannot believe that some of the idiots that comment on every subject that comes up here and idiots that have no life has not made their useless comments about what this teenager did to his family. I''m waiting, come on, let''s hear it.

[dmotte]

I cannot believe that some of the idiots that comment on every subject that comes up here and idiots that have no life has not made their useless comments about what this teenager did to his family. I''m waiting, come on, let''s hear it.

[dmotte]

I cannot believe that some of the idiots that comment on every subject that comes up here and idiots that have no life has not made their useless comments about what this teenager did to his family. I''m waiting, come on, let''s hear it.

[dmotte]

I cannot believe that some of the idiots that comment on every subject that comes up here and idiots that have no life has not made their useless comments about what this teenager did to his family. I''m waiting, come on, let''s hear it.

[talkingham]

Just chop this little murderer''s head off and be doen with it.