Jeanne Caroline, the mother of shooting victim Sean Caroline, introduces the video she produced to warn parents and children about firearm dangers.
LARGO – Tears flowed among those watching the first public airing April 14 of a firearms safety movie produced by the mother of a 12-year-old boy killed by a playmate in 2003.
Emotions poured forth as an actress in the 20-minute video reacted to the words of a police officer that her son had been killed.
“I thought they were lying,” recalled the real Jeanne Caroline, of Largo. “I refused to accept that he was dead. Then they brought his backpack and I knew…”
Obviously shaken by the film, city Commissioners Gay Gentry and Gigi Arntzen called it heartbreaking and excellent.
“We need to have everybody see this,” said Arntzen.
“We can tell kids over and over to stay away from guns,” added Gentry. “But it just doesn’t work.”
Sean Caroline died Sept. 5, 2003 after skipping class to play video games at a friend’s house. While there, his friend pulled a pistol from under a couch and began playing with it.
As his friend points the supposedly unloaded pistol at Sean’s head he said, “I’m not scared. You won’t really shoot me.”
The scene fades to the sound of a gunshot.
This is depicted in the video entitled “One Reckless Moment, a Lifetime of Emptiness,” which was edited and co-produced by Eammon Kneeshaw.
The video opens with several parents and young victims of accidental shootings describing their agony.
After several of Sean’s former playmates re-enact his death, the actual 911 call is heard while Largo police dispatchers sit at their computer consoles.
Viewers then hear the actual words of the 14-year-old boy telling the dispatcher he had just shot his friend.
“I didn’t mean to. I’m so sorry,” said Louis Mevec who was later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to juvenile detention. His father, Louis Mevec Sr. is scheduled for release in November after serving a 34-month sentence for failing to secure a firearm from a minor.
Jeanne Caroline has dedicated her life to fighting for firearm safety measures to protect all children.
“Every day I wish I could go back and save my son,” she said before last week’s screening of her video.
“This was truly a labor of love,” added Largo police Chief Lester Aradi. “Every time I watch this a tear falls from my eye.”
The video promotes use of gunlocks and urges all gun owners to keep guns out of children’s reach, unloaded with ammunition safely kept away from the weapons.
Aradi said too many people won’t spend the money to buy the recommended clam shell pistol locks that are available.
“What value do you put on our children’s lives?” he asked.
Caroline said she has asked the Pinellas County School Board to authorize showing of the video in all county schools, but hasn’t yet heard from the schools.
She said further distribution will be sought, but it hasn’t been determined how it would be made available.
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