CBS News correspondent Lesley Stahl travels to Enon, Mississippi to investigate the case of Zachary Stringer, a 15-year-old who was found guilty of the lesser-included offense of manslaughter after shooting his younger brother Justin, 11, in their mother’s home in 2011. At his trial, Zach’s and Justin’s father Roger Stringer testified that both boys were hunters and had gun racks in their bedrooms (each boy had two guns and ammunition). At the time of Justin’s death, both boys were home with their guns without parental supervision. Although Zach says he never pulled the trigger, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of his brother; with 10 years served and 10 years of post-release supervision. After serving five years, he was released on good behavior.
Now Roger Stringer, who speaks with Stahl on 60 Minutes, is asking a judge to hold Remington’s “feet to the fire.” The manufacturer of the gun in Zach’s hands was a Remington 700 rifle. The company has reportedly received “hundreds of complaints” of the gun’s trigger mechanism – the X-Mark Pro® – inadvertently discharging. Remington has voluntarily recalled the product. However, the complaints were not shared during Zachary Stringer’s trial. The prosecutor on Stringer’s case tells Stahl he didn’t know there had been complaints. “Had we known there was a problem with the trigger before we were getting ready for trial, I would assure you we would have looked into that,” he says. “We would have accessed the case based on that evidence, there’s no question about that.” Roger Stringer tells Stahl he would like to see the elimination of “the danger that is lurking in so many households.” 60 Minutes airs Sundays at 7pm on CBS.
