22 Year old mother of 2, shoots herself in the stomach to end full term pregnancy

[LyLMyssChaos]

I think that this is an all around sad situation. I really hope that in place of a "punishment" that this woman receives counseling and the mental care she desperately needs. She is so remorseful and upset about killing her baby, I really think that she did it in a moment of deep depression. Her mother said she doesn't understand what happened because she was so excited and happy to have the baby, but the woman claims she did it to protect the baby from it's father. :(


Suffolk Police have filed charges against a pregnant woman who was found shot in the stomach Thursday morning. Tammy Skinner is accused of shooting herself in the stomach, killing her unborn child.

The 22-year-old was due to give birth to a baby girl that day. The baby did not survive.


The rest of the story (http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=4562522), along with video of the woman explaining why she did it and how sorry she is.

[MrsD108]

How horrible. My feelings are very mixed on this one. That poor baby.

[AirForceLove]

I am in tears right now. I don't know what to say about this. Anger, sadness. What ever her punishment may be, I hope she gets the help that she needs.

[AirForceLove]

How horrible. My feelings are very mixed on this one. That poor baby.


That's what I wanted to say.

[villanelle75]

I am a bit confused. The article says she was charged with, among other things, "causing an abortion." How is that a crime? (This wasn't in South Dakota.)

Note: I'm only questioning what makes "causing an abortion" a crime, since it is still legal to have and/or perform an abortion.

[AirForceLove]

The article says she was charged with, among other things, "causing an abortion."

They baby was full term so wouldn't it be concidered murder?

[LyLMyssChaos]

They baby was full term so wouldn't it be concidered murder?

It wasn't murder because it didn't breathe air. At least that's what the newscast said.

[jp'swife]

Horrible horrible horrible and so tragic.

I can't really say that I know, fully, what to think about the mother yet.
First they say she was happy about the pregnancy....but she, in her own words, said that she is already raising two kids on her own.......
I don't know yet.
Sounds like pre-mediated murder----1st degree.

[amew]

I am a bit confused. The article says she was charged with, among other things, "causing an abortion." How is that a crime? (This wasn't in South Dakota.)

Under Roe, abortions after viability can be restricted. States may, for example, require that the abortion be performed in a hospital by a licensed physician or that the health or life of the mother be at stake. I am not familiar with the details of Virginia abortion law, but I suspect that Virginia has restrictions like that in place and that this woman committed a crime by violating those restrictions.

[villanelle75]

Got it. Thanks, Amew. It soudns like it wasnt' just causing an abortion; it was doing so a beyond a certain point in the pregnancy or perhaps outside a medical facility.

[AirForceLove]

It wasn't murder because it didn't breathe air. At least that's what the newscast said.

It is crazy how each state differs in what they concider a human life. Look at California. Scoot Peterson was charged with the killing his baby and he was not born yet.

[villanelle75]

I have an admitedly limited knowledge and understanding of this, but I think the difference int eh Peterson case might be that it wasnt' the woman's choice to end the pregnancy, it was someone else's (Scott's). My understandign is that there is a CA law that makes ending a woman's pregnancy in the act of also takign her life a murder. In other words, it is sort of forced abortion vs. a choice by the woman to abort, with the former beign murder and the latter being, well, choice to exersize a legal right.

[d4est]

Wow that is a very sad story. I can't imagine how you could shoot yourself (let alone your baby). There are so many people in the world who can't have babies. She would have to have some sort of mental issues-right??!!