[Portion of the Los Angeles Times Article]:
In plea deal, youth gets 21 years for killing gay teen
Brandon McInerney avoids a retrial by pleading guilty to shooting Larry King. The jury deadlocked in the first trial, with some saying prosecutors were being too harsh in trying him as an adult.
A teenager who fatally shot a gay classmate in the back of the head during an Oxnard middle school computer lab will spend 21 years in prison under a plea deal reached Monday, closing the books on a case that drew international headlines and ignited debate on how schools should handle sexual identity issues.
Brandon McInerney, who was 14 when he pulled a gun out of his backpack and shot Larry King two times at point-blank range, will be kept behind bars until he is 38 under the terms of the deal struck by Ventura County prosecutors.
In an unusual arrangement, the 17-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree and voluntary manslaughter. In return, prosecutors agreed not to go forward with a second trial, which could have resulted in a life sentence.
The family of the victim, Larry King, broke their silence on the case outside court Monday, saying that they supported the sentence but believed school officials hold deep responsibility for what happened.
"Larry had a complicated life, but he did not deserve to be murdered," said the youth's father, Greg King.
McInerney's first trial ended in a hung jury in early September, with jurors torn between murder and manslaughter. Some jurors said they believed the district attorney's office was being overly harsh in trying McInerney as an adult and several showed up Monday wearing "Save Brandon" bracelets.
Greg King said he was satisfied by the deal reached with his son's killer, given the "unpredictability of juries."
"Twenty-one years is a long time" King said. "At the end of the day, this is something we can live with."
McInerney shot King in a school computer lab at E.O Green Junior High in Oxnard in February 2008, after days of conflict between the boys. Students and teachers at the trial testified that King had been dressing in women's accessories and wearing makeup, and was flirting aggressively with male students on campus who did not want the attention.
School administrators sent a memo advising teachers to give King his space, but to report safety problems. Teachers at the trial testified that when they tried to report growing tensions between King and several boys, school leaders shunned them.
The victim's mother, Dawn King, revealed for the first time Monday that she had contacted school officials four days before the shooting in an effort to solicit their cooperation in toning down her son's behavior. The boy had been taken from the Kings' home two months earlier by authorities because of problems at home.
She said she was told that her son had a civil right to explore his sexual identity.
"I knew, gut instinct, that something serious was going to happen," she said. "They should have contained him, contained his behavior."
Brandon McInerney, who was 14 when he pulled a gun out of his backpack and shot Larry King two times at point-blank range, will be kept behind bars until he is 38 under the terms of the deal struck by Ventura County prosecutors.
In an unusual arrangement, the 17-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree and voluntary manslaughter. In return, prosecutors agreed not to go forward with a second trial, which could have resulted in a life sentence.
The family of the victim, Larry King, broke their silence on the case outside court Monday, saying that they supported the sentence but believed school officials hold deep responsibility for what happened.
"Larry had a complicated life, but he did not deserve to be murdered," said the youth's father, Greg King.
McInerney's first trial ended in a hung jury in early September, with jurors torn between murder and manslaughter. Some jurors said they believed the district attorney's office was being overly harsh in trying McInerney as an adult and several showed up Monday wearing "Save Brandon" bracelets.
Greg King said he was satisfied by the deal reached with his son's killer, given the "unpredictability of juries."
"Twenty-one years is a long time" King said. "At the end of the day, this is something we can live with."
McInerney shot King in a school computer lab at E.O Green Junior High in Oxnard in February 2008, after days of conflict between the boys. Students and teachers at the trial testified that King had been dressing in women's accessories and wearing makeup, and was flirting aggressively with male students on campus who did not want the attention.
School administrators sent a memo advising teachers to give King his space, but to report safety problems. Teachers at the trial testified that when they tried to report growing tensions between King and several boys, school leaders shunned them.
The victim's mother, Dawn King, revealed for the first time Monday that she had contacted school officials four days before the shooting in an effort to solicit their cooperation in toning down her son's behavior. The boy had been taken from the Kings' home two months earlier by authorities because of problems at home.
She said she was told that her son had a civil right to explore his sexual identity.
"I knew, gut instinct, that something serious was going to happen," she said. "They should have contained him, contained his behavior."
This article in the Los Angeles Times newspaper caught my attention because of its reference to gender identity. Larry King was a young 15 year old boy who was shot by his classmate, Brandon McInerney, for being gay. McInerney, now 17 years old, is sentenced to 21 years in prison. This devastating incident occurred after an altercation between King and McInerney. Even though teachers were aware of the days of conflict taking place between the two boys, school officials failed to take measures in dealing with the situation. When will people begin to realize that this world is not just black and white, but a spectrum of colors?
Unfortunately, in today’s society, there is a lack of awareness towards different gender identities. Larry King became a victim to the ignorance of society, which ultimately resulted in his death. As mentioned in class, the definitions of gender and sexuality have been socially constructed and continue to impact our daily lives. Our society is filled with diverse individuals who need to be accepted for who they are and what they desire. There needs to be an end to this and other hate crimes against gay and transgender people.
No comments:
Post a Comment