"Barney and Friends" creator Sheryl Leach has been sued by Eric Shanks because Leach's son almost killed him and has been known to have violent tendencies. Shanks contends that the Barney creator should not have allowed her son to have a gun because of his pre-existing violent tendencies. Leach's son, Patrick, 27, was arrested in January in Malibu, California and charged with attempted murder for shooting Eric Shanks in the chest outside a Malibu home.

Now, Shanks is suing Sheryl Leach because of negligence, according to a TMZ report. Patrick Leach lives with his mom Sheryl and apparently has known violent tendencies. After the attempted murder arrest and subsequent charges, Patrick Leach pleaded not guilty and was released on a $1 million bond. He returned to Malibu to live with his mother. The report did not specify what condition or incident caused Leach's "known violent tendencies".

Shanks also is suing Patrick Leach for assault and battery. He was shot from a car parked in front of the Shanks home.

Sheryl Leach created Barney in 1988. The purple dinosaur, who spread messages of tolerance and friendship to children, first appeared in the home release of "Barney and the Backyard Gang." The singing dinosaur and his friends appeared on a popular PBS TV Show first airing in 1992, "Barney & Friends". After the show went off air, Sheryl Leach worked on numerous different home releases starring Barney.