Gay Junior High School Student Shot at School Declared Brain Dead

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:08pm

This just pisses me off.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-oxnard14feb14,1,955781.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:10pm

It pisses ME off that you have to register to read the article!

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:13pm

That's weird. Sorry 'bout that. The link worked for me. Here's the article:

Oxnard student declared brain dead
Lawrence King, 15, was shot and wounded at a junior high school Tuesday. A classmate faces murder charge.

By Catherine Saillant and Gregory W. Griggs, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
February 14, 2008

An Oxnard junior high student who was shot in the head by a classmate earlier this week was declared brain dead Wednesday, and the 14-year-old male suspect now faces a first-degree murder charge, authorities said.

Lawrence King, 15, was declared brain dead by two neurosurgeons about 2 p.m. at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, said Craig Stevens, senior deputy Ventura County medical examiner. King's body remains on a ventilator for possible organ donation, he said. He was shot early Tuesday in a classroom at E.O. Green Junior High School.

Authorities initially believed that King was improving. But the boy's condition worsened early Wednesday, and he was placed on a ventilator a few hours later with his family nearby, said an official, who asked not to be named.

David Keith, an Oxnard police spokesman, said the family would have no comment and asked the media to respect their privacy.

Police said the suspect, whose identity was not disclosed because of his age, shot King at least twice at the beginning of the school day and then fled the campus. The boy was apprehended by police a few blocks away and is being held in Juvenile Hall. He is scheduled to appear in court today.

Ventura County Dist. Atty. Gregory Totten said prosecutors would decide whether the case should remain in Juvenile Court after reviewing the police investigation. Under state law, prosecutors can ask the court to try the suspect as an adult, he said. "In all probability he will be charged in adult court," Totten said.

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

Keith and Totten declined to elaborate.

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.

"We've heard that and a lot of other things," Keith said. "But I can't say what the motive is until we finish our interviews."

Totten said he could not comment on the specifics of the case until he reviewed the police investigation. But a hate-crime enhancement is something that prosecutors would consider as they move forward, he said.

"It's something we will look at," he said. "But the case is going to be reviewed as a murder involving the use of a firearm, and that carries a potential sentence of 50 years to life."

Jerry Dannenberg, the school district superintendent, said the school's staff was aware that King had butted heads with other students, including the suspect, and offered both students help.

"They had been doing a lot of counseling and a lot of work with [King] to help him deal with some of his concerns and issues," Dannenberg said. "But I can't go into specifics about what was going on."

Bullying in schools has long been a problem. But recent studies show that a student who comes "out" as gay or lesbian is far more likely to suffer abuse than others, said Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network based in New York.

A student thought to be gay was five times as likely to be threatened or injured by a weapon, a 2002 California Department of Education study said. Jennings said other studies have found similar results. His group advocates more teacher training on how to handle bullying and harassment, specifically of gay students.

"This Oxnard shooting is very upsetting but not surprising," Jennings said. "The real issue is not the kid coming out, but the kid sitting next to him. Schools must teach that we may not like one another, but we must respect one another."

Teachers and counselors at E.O. Green Junior High, meanwhile, sought to calm fears about escalating violence at the south Oxnard campus.

About a quarter of the school's 1,000 students stayed home Wednesday due to fear of reprisals, Dannenberg said.

He said the school would have extra staff and police on campus for the next few days.

catherine.saillant @latimes.com

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[SueleenGay]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:15pm

That is so sad.

Updated On: 2/14/08 at 01:15 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:16pm

How terrible. I can't believe I didn't hear about this.

[Pip]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:18pm

This is so tragic...What is it going to take to stop the hatred...

[mateo]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:25pm

It's been all over the news here.

I had a feeling the student might have been gay, when fellow classmates said he "dressed weird," but I hadn't heard any TV reports mention him as being gay or identifying this as a hate crime.

It's very sad.

Updated On: 2/14/08 at 01:25 PM

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:34pm

God, I hope the Ugly Betty writers don't get any ideas.

[madbrian]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:36pm

Ugly Betty? This has the makings of a future Law & Order episode.

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:37pm

I'm sure FreeRepublic has already started its thread on how it was the kid's own fault for dressing that way.
Updated On: 2/14/08 at 01:37 PM

[louisamayfoster]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 2:55pm

It's so sick that a hot headed kid could have access to a gun. This is a tragic story and it needs to be reported and discussed in our schools.

[East Village]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 3:18pm

CNN reports the "shooting appears to be result of a dispute between the boys."

That's a fairly inaccurate portrayal of a hate crime or bullying incident.

[justagirl2]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 3:21pm

God, how sad.

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 4:08pm

AP is now reporting that he has died.
link

[louisamayfoster]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 4:13pm

For Lawrence

"We Shall Be Free"

This ain't comin' from no prophet
Just an ordinary man
When I close my eyes I see
The way this world shall be
When we all walk hand in hand

When the last child cries for a crust of bread
When the last man dies for just words that he said
When there's shelter over the poorest head
We shall be free

When the last thing we notice is the color of skin
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within
When the skies and the oceans are clean again
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud
'Cause we shall be free
When we're free to love anyone we choose
When this world's big enough for all different views
When we all can worship from our own kind of pew
Then we shall be free
We shall be free

We shall be free
Have a little faith
Hold out
'Cause we shall be free

And when money talks for the very last time
And nobody walks a step behind
When there's only one race and that's mankind
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud, have a little faith, hold out
We shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, have a little faith

We shall be free
GB

[DivaBrigader]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 4:26pm

This makes me weep. This kid's life was just beginning and he was brave enough to be able express himself in his own unique way at such a young age. My heart goes out to his parents and loved ones.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 6:54pm

the sad point is that it happened at all, no matter what the reason.....

[trinaaron]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 9:02pm

How absolutley horrific


"This is so tragic...What is it going to take to stop the hatred..."

People speaking out would be a great start. Not just gay people, but everyone. So often in this world we only are concerned with what affects us. If I am gay, then of course I care about gay issues. If I am black, then it's those type of issues. It's the same with any group that feels it is on the fringe. Well you know what? It is only when ALL types of people step up in support that things will change. The popular rock band (or rapper or whatever) has to write a song about their friend who is gay. Movies and TV need to depict gay characters who are not defined by being gay. Popular authors have to include sympathetic gay characters. On that note, Suzanne Brockmann, a very popular author of romance novels, recently released a book in which the two main characters were 2 men, and this book was featured prominently in the romance section of book stores. Say what you will about trashy romance novels, but that is a huge step. It was a romance novel, not a "gay novel".
Updated On: 2/14/08 at 09:02 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 9:04pm

To quote Shaw's St. Joan, "How long, O Lord, how long?"

[snl89]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 9:08pm

"For Lawrence

"We Shall Be Free"

This ain't comin' from no prophet
Just an ordinary man
When I close my eyes I see
The way this world shall be
When we all walk hand in hand

When the last child cries for a crust of bread
When the last man dies for just words that he said
When there's shelter over the poorest head
We shall be free

When the last thing we notice is the color of skin
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within
When the skies and the oceans are clean again
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud
'Cause we shall be free
When we're free to love anyone we choose
When this world's big enough for all different views
When we all can worship from our own kind of pew
Then we shall be free
We shall be free

We shall be free
Have a little faith
Hold out
'Cause we shall be free

And when money talks for the very last time
And nobody walks a step behind
When there's only one race and that's mankind
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud, have a little faith, hold out
We shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, have a little faith

We shall be free
GB"


Wow. I could not have picked a more perfect song. And it's my FAVORITE Garth Brooks song of all time. Truly.



anyway, what a sad, sad event. Why is there so much hatred in the world? It just makes absolutely no sense to me. Sometimes I have a very hard time understanding the human race.

Updated On: 2/14/08 at 09:08 PM

[insertclevernamehere]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 9:19pm

This is so sad. And there was another shooting at Northern Illinois U today. What is it going to take to stop this?

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 9:24pm

What scares me is how this hate is reaching down to the younger and younger people. First it was high school kids, and now MIDDLE SCHOOL?
The next thing we'll hear is that a 3rd grader pushed the little gay boy off of the see-saw.

The worst part is is that we constantly hear about these sorts of things but nothing is ever done.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 10:03pm

That's so awful.

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 10:20pm

This is the kind of thing that drains all the hope out of you. I almost vomited when I read this.

[futurenala]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 10:39pm

Such a horrible thing to happen. What's going on with the world today!