Calif. teen faces 21 years after guilty plea

[Shadow]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Southern California teenager who shot a gay classmate to death during a computer lab class three years ago avoided a retrial by pleading guilty to second-degree murder, a deal that will send him to prison for 21 years.
Brandon McInerney, 17, pleaded guilty to the murder charge Monday, as well as one count each of voluntary manslaughter and use of a firearm, said Ventura County Chief Deputy District Attorney Mike Frawley. McInerney is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 19.
The case drew wide attention because of its shocking premise: McInerney, in a fit of homophobic rage, killed 15-year-old Larry King at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard because he was offended by King's dress and how the victim interacted with him.
Larry King's father, Greg King, told KABC-TV he understands why prosecutors agreed to the plea deal.

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King was shot twice in the back of the head in front of stunned classmates. Authorities maintained the shooting was premeditated and deserving of a murder conviction. During the trial, prosecutors noted at least six people heard McInerney make threats against King in the days before the shooting.
The victim's mother, Dawn King, revealed Monday that she had contacted school officials four days before the shooting, seeking their cooperation in toning down her son's behavior, the Los Angeles Times reported.
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 told the Times. "They should have contained him, contained his behavior."
Prosecutors also contended McInerney embraced a white supremacist philosophy that sees homosexuality as an abomination. Police found Nazi-inspired drawings and artifacts at his house, and a white supremacist expert testified at trial the hate-filled ideology was the reason for the killing.
Prosecutors, however, dropped a hate crime count against McInerney in preparing for a second trial.
Defense attorneys acknowledged McInerney was the shooter but explained he had reached an emotional breaking point after King made repeated, unwanted sexual advances. They also argued their client came from a violent upbringing and juvenile court would have been the best venue to try him.

http://news.yahoo.com/calif-teen-faces-21-years-guilty-plea-084443622.html

[logroller]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — ....
The victim's mother, Dawn King, revealed Monday that she had contacted school officials four days before the shooting, seeking their cooperation in toning down her son's behavior, the Los Angeles Times reported.
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 told the Times. "They should have contained him, contained his behavior."

http://news.yahoo.com/calif-teen-faces-21-years-guilty-plea-084443622.html

eeek. Bad call on the school's part, obviously when the mother comes to them they should have at least tried to intervene-- but that's the mom's side of the story, I'd be curious to hear the schools side. I feel horrible for the victim's mother, but come on, she couldn't control his behavior? I went to school with some gay kids, the valedictorian for one, and they managed not to behave in such a manner their own mother thought they should tone it down. I have to wonder, if it was a bully who'd been killed, everybody would be blaming bullying. With an out-of-control homo, they scream intolerance.

[Thunderknuckles]

This story is in my neck of the woods and I've been following it closely. As far as I'm concerned the sentence for McInerney was a good call.
Logroller, your suspicion is absolutely correct. Larry King was a KNOWN disturbance in that he continually sexually harassed his fellow classmates in and out of class. Teachers involved with King came forward long before the shooting to express their concern to the school's leadership. King's own mother came forward as well! What was the official response? Leave King alone, he is expressing his sexuality. It is very interesting to note that one of the assistant principals that helped craft the official response is openly Lesbian. End result? A young male who felt threatened by these unwanted and unchecked advances had had enough and took deadly action.

Now, before you accuse me of making excuses for McInerney keep in mind that the dialog here would be entirely different had we been talking about a young female who shot a male that continually sexually harassed her. She would have served the same, if not less time, for such a response but deep down we would all hold some sympathy for the female.

[hjmick]

I lived in Ventura County when this happened. Just down the road from Oxnard. It was a messed up story from the start. One young man is dead and another has ruined his life. Good to see the final chapter come around. Perhaps King's family will find some closure with this plea deal.

As to your point, Thunder, sexual harrasment is not justification to commit murder.

[logroller]

I lived in Ventura County when this happened. Just down the road from Oxnard. It was a messed up story from the start. One young man is dead and another has ruined his life. Good to see the final chapter come around. Perhaps King's family will find some closure with this plea deal.

As to your point, Thunder, sexual harrasment is not justification to commit murder.

You obviously missed his point. He wasn't justifying the killing. Merely highlighting the differential treatment of the situation that caused it.