At age 14, Brandon McInerney shot and killed openly gay student Lawrence King in front of their teacher and 24 classmates. Prosecutors are seeking a first-degree (premeditated) murder and hate-crime charges that would put away McInerney for 53 years. But the jury could give him the lesser charge of second-degree (non-premeditated) murder or even voluntary manslaughter (killing in “the heat of passion”) which would only put McInerney away for 23 years. So which will it be?
The prosecution has already tried to blunt a “gay panic” defense, but whether they’ve convinced a jury that McInerney’s white supremacy and homophobia adds up to pre-meditation remains uncertain; especially since the defense has portrayed McInerney as a victim of violent abuse that King sexually harassed.
At least the defense has stopped claiming that the judge is anti-gay. That’s nearly as ridiculous as blaming the victim for his own murder.
Maddie
Omg it’s poor young boy / should be killed this slut man
James UK
I’m unhappy either way.
Whether it’s 23 or 53 years, it’s far too long a sentence to impose on a child.
He should be tried in juvenile court and not as an adult. What is happening to McInerney ought to be outrageous to any decent person.
The failings here which have led to one dead boy and one whose life is now going to be over belong to the adults charged with raising and teaching them. To punish a 14 year old for those failings is sickening.
Geoff
At 14 any kid should know the difference between right and wrong. I would lock him away for life.
Mike in Asheville
@Geoff: He’s a 14yo kid who did an evil evil act of violence. At home, his meth-addicted abusive taught him violence and hate.
The kid is sick and needs to be institutionalized until he’s no longer a threat to society. We should not be throwing away the life of a 14yo.
iDavid
The deep seated rage projected on society by this murderer is grounds for lockup as he could easily do it again, 14 or not. Though Rehab is a great hope, unfortunately the way society is wired it isn’t available to those in need. Maybe someday. I wish the kid recovery in whatever way it may come to him. Since he is at a maleable age 23 years is a bit much in my estimation and 53 is over the top.
Daez
@James UK: No one here really gives a damn about justice. They simply all care about revenge. Many here would like to see this boy beheaded.
Breadquanda
MY GOD PEOPLE. He’s not 14 years-old.
Stop referring to him as such.
David Ehrenstein
@Daez: KAPO!
AedanRoberts
I’m sorry but when did 14 years old become “he’s only a CHILD!”
First of all he was technically a teenager. Not a “child”. In many, many societies ages 13 and up are considered entering into adulthood. Just because we still view people below the age of 18 as a “minor” does not make this synonymous with “child”. It makes this monster sound like a toddler who had accidentally spilled his cereal on the floor. Stop it.
If by the age of 14 you still haven’t figured out that carrying a gun to school and shooting someone in the back of the head execution style is wrong it is not because you “simply aren’t old enough to tell the difference.” it means you exhibit sociopathic behavior that is likely something fucked up chemically inside you.
There are thousands of tragic cases of abused teenagers who grew up in extremely fucked up households. Beaten, exposed to drug-addled parents, criminally neglected. But even in these cases most of these unfortunate people manage to understand the basic right and wrong and can develop enough empathy to realize that shooting someone in the back of the fucking head, or at all, is WRONG.
I am getting so sick of hearing all of these responses from people saying how horrible it is that this guy could serve a sentence as long as 53 years for something he did when he was “just a child”. He wasn’t a child, and he was by FAR old enough to be able to tell what he was going to do was monstrous and wrong. He was living in an abusive household- not under a rock. Even if he lacked the empathy that all sociopaths lack to understand this- his very exposure to society beyond his own home would have given him this knowledge.
Lock him up permanently. And stop with the “child” shit.
doug105
@james maybe if we had a nice place to exile the murdering brat to like say the uk
Jimmy Fury
No no let’s not send a 17 year old to prison for murdering another human being.
Because it’s wrong to throw away a teenagers life.
Unless, apparently, you throw away their life by murdering them. That’s fine. Murdering teenagers is totally justifiable if you have a fucked up family but putting them in prison for a crime is horrendous and evil.
Alan
He brought the gun to school and planned to use it. It was a premeditated murder and hopefully the prosecution will be able to prove that.
Scott
What about the parents? I thought children were the property of the parents? Shouldn’t they bear responsibility? Shouldn’t they be tried as accomplices? If your dog runs out into the street and mauls a child isn’t the owner liable? Send the minor to a psych hospital until he’s 22 and put the parents in jail for creating a killer. That will send a proper message and other parents will do better at policing their children.
James
@David Ehrenstein:
“KAPO!”??? No, the kid did a monstrous act. But, he’s still a child. Throwing his life whole life away doesn’t make sense. There’s a ton of scientific evidence that points out that a 14 year-old-human brain is not capable of truly rational thought. The adult brain is not formed fully until the early twenties.
There is a huge difference between imprisoning and rehabilitating a child offender versus letting him walk free.
The kid obviously was a racist homophobe with horrifically violent tendencies. But what do the psychologists say? Is he a sociopath, for which there is no cure, or is he just in need of intensive care?
There is a difference between vengeance and justice. Shouldn’t society try to save this child?
James
@Jimmy Fury:
Putting the kid in prison is fine. The question is how long should he be in jail. Prison for minors should be rehabilitation. He was 14 when he committed a disgusting act. But are you the same person you were at 14? Would you be the same person at 50?
Why not let the psychologists determine if he’s fit to return to society and put him on probation for 10 years after his release?
the crustybastard
@Scott: I thought children were the property of the parents?
You missed the newsletter. People can no longer own other people in this country.
If your dog runs out into the street and mauls a child isn’t the owner liable?
Depends on the laws of your state. They aren’t uniform on this issue. Many states have a “one-bite rule.”
To return to your original point, what you’re arguing on behalf of is creating strict liability for parenting. A parent cannot be held responsible for all the bad actions of their offspring, but they should be held liable if they knowingly facilitate bad acts. You can’t be liable merely for being related.
Jimmy Fury
@James: You have me mistaken for someone with the capacity to feel sympathy for a murderer.
Either he knows right from wrong, in which case he knowingly commited premeditated murder and should be held to the same fucking standards as everyone else regardless of his age… Or he’s a sociopath and society is better off without him. Either way put the fucker in a cell and throw away the key.
He deserves as much mercy and sympathy as he was willing to give his victim.
Erik
@James UK: At 14, I knew it was wrong to murder someone. I suspect Brandon McInerney did, too. He just didn’t care. He did it anyway.
I am liable to be lenient on minors when they commit other crimes — theft, assault, vandalism. Murder is different. Children learn at a very young age that murder is wrong. A child who is willing to murder another should not be returned to society at their 18th birthday.
Henry
I haven’t seen any evidence that McInerney is a psychopath. Having had a very nasty run in with a 33 year old psychopath, I have some experience in this area. The murder is premeditated, but not the product of a psychopathic mind.
Tony
“He’s still a child”
Are you guys fucking serious? He knew what he was doing. He clearly planned it by bringing a gun to school! Is that not enough valid evidence? Gosh, at 14, he knew EXACTLY what he was doing. He deserves 53 years. “it’s wrong to throw a child’s life away by sending him to 53 years” Ummmm what about it’s wrong to literally kill a kid….that should clearly be enough to send this piece of shit to prison for 53 years. It sickens me how there’s a couple of you that can show sympathy for the murderer.
Diego_Rivera_II
He deserves punishment, but not 53 years. I’d rather give 53 years to the troublemaking teacher who told Lawrence King, in his makeup and high-heeled boots, to give McInerey a Valentine’s Day card. What a dingbat.
Tiff
You know if it were a 14 year old black kid who shot and killed someone they would throw the book at them, the trail would be conducted in adult court and he would be locked away for the rest of his life.
Lefty
Are you guys fucking kidding me!!!???
I mean, what the fuck is the human race coming to when murdering children are called children…
*endless false rage continues for some time*
[Blood lust, desire for violence or murder by the state, etc]
…
These so-called human beings trying to be all reasonable and shit.
MAKES ME SICK!!!
This kid should be murderdrred by the state ’cause he muerderred someone else and that’s called bad.
i is so angry i can hardly spel right now
FUCKING LIBERAL PURVERTTS
etc etc etc…
Lefty
@Tony: How very interesting…
Jimmy Fury
@Tiff: … if? would?
lemme just fix that for you…
“When it’s a 14 year old black kid who shoots and kills someone they throw the book at them, the trial is conducted in adult court, and he is locked away for the rest of his life.”
There we go. Accurate statement is now more accurate.
Little Kiwi
amen. if Brandon was black, and Lawrence white, there’d be no DOUBT he’d get the maximum sentence.
Brandon has been made into a monster – not by the media, but by culture and surroundings. He is INDEED dangerous. He brought a gun to school and shot a classmate twice in the back of the head. Premeditated murder.
He’s been fucked UP. He’s a mess. He’s dangerous. Remember, Jeffrey Dahmer was once a “teen”, and showed a similar disconnect from reason.
jail or therapy? study him. rehabilitate him. but for a few fucking decades.
Queer Supremacist
I agree with David E. You are all Kapos for not wanting him executed in the most brutal fashion the law will allow. I’d give anything to pull the switch myself. The death penalty should be MANDATORY for all hate crimes. This is not bloodlust. This is not vengeance. This is justice.
Bash a fag = lose your life. Kill Brandon McImanazi!
KjBrit
I have read a lot of the comments here and what I think is missing is this. This so called “child” did a grown up crime. He thought about it for weeks he told friends he was going to do it and he followed through. To me that is premeditated. Child or not he deserves the max sentence. Larry was a sweet kid who was trying to find himself and when he did and started to stand up for himself the bullies didn’t like it the biggest bully being McInerney.
Question…if Mcinerney was 35 then what would you say?
Saki
if he knew how to and why he used a gun, then is totally OK to trial him as an adult so dont defend him that he is just a ‘child’!!!! a one f* up kid if u ask me, maybe his parents should be on trial to!
Dan R
To all the people saying the murderer is only a kid and should be shown leniency: I’ve been around teenage kids, and they are far from innocent, they are animals that show no remorse. It’s gotten to the point that 17 year olds will be going on killing sprees just to have some fun while they are young, before they turn 18. Fuck em, try em as adults and lock them up forever.
To the people who say we want revenge and not justice: I say, DAMN RIGHT. This young man was a punk, and a pig; his only redeemable value to our already over populated society will be solent green. We have too many people, and there is absolutely not time for rehabilitation. To hell with justice, convict these little mother fuckers and make a point to let them know that they are being sent to jail out of revenge.