“I hate you, you hate me, let’s get together and kill Barney.” So went the popular playground song parody for me and my friends (and everyone else) growing up, not because we watched Barney the Friendly Dinosaur, also known as Barney & Friends (PSH, we were too busy smoking boobs and feeling cigarettes); rather, we loved the idea of murdering a purple dinosaur who only wanted to help us learn to tie our shoes. In the household of Barney creator Sheryl Leach, though, the song was sung a little differently, apparently: replace “kill Barney” with “attempt to murder your neighbor,” and yup.
27-year-old Patrick Leach — son of Barney creator Sheryl Leach — was arrested in Agoura Hills, CA for allegedly shooting [neighbor Eric Shanks] in the chest on January 9 … this according to TheAcorn.com. Cops say they have recovered evidence that connects Patrick to the shooting. Cops are still trying to determine the motive. According to The Acorn, the victim was treated at UCLA and is expected to recover. (Via)
“Attempted murder.” That’s like stopping at “two plus two is.” Anyway, if Leach does end up going to prison, and the other inmates find out who he is, expect a new Urban Dictionary listing for “purple dinosaur” to pop up. It’s like a “red Elmo,” but with less B.J. and a lot more bop. Related: here’s a picture of Kurt Cobain dressed as Barney.
