Openly Gay Student, 15, Fatally Wounded in Oxnard

Joe.My.God has been closely following the Tuesday shooting of an openly gay student named Lawrence King, a 15-year-old at E. O. Green Juior High School in Oxnard, CA. According to LAist, the shooter was 14-year-old classmate Brandon McInerney and the shooting occurred at 8:30am in a computer lab with 20 other students. On Wednesday, multiple media reports announced that King was declared brain dead at St. John's Regional Medical Center but his body was on a ventilator as the family was considering whether to allow organ donation.

King had been living at Casa Pacifica, a Ventura County foster care home for abused and neglected children.

The Los Angeles Times has some information on the motive:

Police have not determined a motive in the slaying but said it appeared to stem from a personal dispute between King and the suspect.

[...].

But several students at the south Oxnard campus said King and his alleged assailant had a falling out stemming from King's sexual orientation.

The teenager sometimes wore feminine clothing and makeup, and proclaimed he was gay, students said.

"He would come to school in high-heeled boots, makeup, jewelry and painted nails -- the whole thing," said Michael Sweeney, 13, an eighth-grader. "That was freaking the guys out."

Student Juan Sandoval, 14, said he shared a fourth-period algebra class with the suspect, whom he described as a calm, smart student who played on the basketball team. "I didn't think he was that kind of kid," Sandoval said. "I guess you never know. He made a big mistake."

"Their lives are both destroyed now," said student Hansley Rivera, 12.

Several students said that a day before the shooting, King and several boys had some kind of altercation during the lunch period.

If the suspect targeted King because of his sexual orientation, the case could rise to the level of a hate crime, authorities said.

Surprisingly, I haven't seen any quotes from State Senator Sheila Kuehl, who has probably done the most to promote the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in California of any elected official in the state.

MadProfessah, like Joe.My.God, will also be following this story closely. Since I don't believe in the death penalty I disagree with others who are calling for retribution for the shooter, but I do believe that a 14-year-old can be tried as an adult, especially when the crime involves loss of life.