Look someone wasn’t paying attention to dinosaur Barney’s life lessons. Patrick Leach, the son of Barney & Friends creator Sheryl Leach, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, according to multiple reports.
A Southern California news service called The Acorn broke the story that Leach, 27, was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 9. Authorities were called to the scene that morning after gunshots were heard in Malibu. The police discovered a man with what seemed like a gunshot wound to the chest and caught the alleged shooter in Agoura Hills.
Leach’s bail was originally set at $500,000 and was later increased to $1 million. He reportedly posted bail that same day.
“Look, he comes from big money, so he was able to post that kind of bail the same day he was arrested,” Lt. Matthew Squire told the Malibu Times. “But once he leaves the station, it’s out of our hands.”
TMZ was one of the first outlets to connect the dots and figure out that Leach is the son of the 60-year-old Barney exec producer. The website says the victim, 49-year-old Eric Shanks, was taken to UCLA to receive medical treatment. He’s expected to make a full recovery.
It’s still unclear why the alleged shooter fired at Shanks. According to City News Service, the attack might have been caused by a “neighbour dispute.”
Reports claim that Leach’s interest in dinosaurs prompted his mother to create the popular children’s show. According to Metro, Leach’s mom – who created Barney & Friends back in the ‘80s alongside Kathy Parker and Dennis DeShazer – lives in Greenwich, Conn. She’s been involved with the PBS series throughout its decade-spanning run.
Thoughts? Sound off below.
