Could Lawrence King’s murder have been prevented?
That’s what some Los Angeles Times journos wonders in another lengthy article on the late 15-year old, who died after being shot by a fellow student, Brandon McInerney. Both boys came from traumatic backgrounds, write Paul Pringle and Catherine Saillant, but it remains unclear how much the school did to help them – especially King:
Larry’s friends offer differing accounts of whether he had complained to teachers about the taunting. Some say he had decided not to report it, fearing that he would be branded a “rat” and suffer the consequences.
…
Not so, said Jerry Dannenberg, superintendent of the Hueneme School District. The E.O. Green staff did come to Larry’s aid, including shortly before he was killed, after they had learned of an altercation between him and Brandon.
Obviously their efforts weren’t enough.
On a related note, King’s parents have set up a cute – and very depressing – memorial website, from which we got this picture of King dressed as the Great Pumpkin. Meanwhile, 14-year old shooter McInerney remains in prison and faces very adult hate crime charges.
seitan-on-a-stick
America’s love affair with guns finds too many victims in our same-gender loving communities. One step forward? Many steps back!!
Nola
“America’s love affair with guns..”
A criminally irresponsible adult left that gun where a disturbed, angry and abused kid could find it. A gun is just a hunk of metal. In Japan where guns are strictly banned, a wacko went into an elementary school and killed several kids with knives. In New York, another wacko killed a psychiatrist with a meat cleaver.
Angry evil people can always find a weapon.
Our job is to make it harder for them to find a Victim. If Queers and Dykes would obtain permits and start carrying concealed weapons, there would be far fewer stories about one of us getting killed by an angry wacko ….