Brandon McInerney who shot a gay classmate Lawrence King in the head has brokered a plea deal that he will apend the next 21 years in prison, a plea deal which now puts an end to thje case.
McInerney, was 14 when he pulled a gun out of his backpack and shot Lawrence King twice in the head in 2008. McInerney’s first trial ended with jurors split between convicting him of voluntary manslaughter and first-degree murder.
During the first trial, prosecutors portrayed McInerney as a budding white supremacist who hated homosexuals and was enraged by King’s sexuality and aggressive flirtations.
The defense argued that McInerney was the product of a violent and dysfunctional home and had reached an emotional breaking point in response to King’s advances.
McInerney was 14 when he carried a .22-caliber handgun to school in a backpack on Feb. 12, 2008, took a seat behind King, 15, and shot him twice in the back of the head.
God this is tragic on so many levels. I am sick that a 14 year old is going to jail for 21 years yet he is violent and a risk to all around him. So sad. And the loss of Lawrence King is even more tragic. This is so hard to understand.