By Carla St. Louis
An unarmed, 17 year old high school student was murdered by Michael Dunn after the teen refused to turn down the volume on his music.
The senseless shooting occurred in the parking lot at a gas station over the weekend in northern Florida.
Dunn, a 45-year-old software developer from Brevard County, fired eight to nine shoots at 17-year-old Jordan Davis in a parking lot on Saturday.
According to the statement issued from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Dunn told authorities that he asked the teens to turn down loud music from their car that was adjacent to his as he waited while his girlfriend, went inside the gas station to make a purchase.
The two exchanged words in regards before Dunn pulled out a gun, and fired eight to nine shots at Davis who was seated in the back seat of the parked vehicle.
After fleeing the crime scene with his girlfriend, Dunn checked into a hotel for the night. After watching the news the next morning, the couple learned of Davis’ death. They returned to Dunn’s home in Brevard County, where local police arrested him Saturday.
He alleges they fled, fearing they had encountered gang members and more would follow.
The couple went to a local hotel for the night, and saw the news the next morning that Davis had died. They returned to Dunn’s home in Brevard County, where local police arrested him Saturday on an out-of-county warrant.
Dunn told to police that he heard threats from Davis and the additional teens in his party.
Dunn’s attorney, Robin Lemonidis, told CNN Monday that her client told police that he reacted after having seen a gun in the window of the teens’ car and after hearing a profanity-laced string of threats against him and his girlfriend.
“When all the evidence has been flushed out, I believe that it will be extremely clear that Mr. Dunn acted as any responsible firearm owner would have under the same circumstances.”
He said he felt threatened after hearing a profanity-laced string of threats against him, and thought he saw a gun being flashed in the window of the teens’ car. He alleged that the teens motioned they were opening the door. That’s when he grabbed his gun–without any shots being fired at him–and shot at the car, authorities said.
Authorities found no guns in the teens’ vehicle.
What’s disturbing about this killing aside from the racial connotation, is its numerous similarities to the Trayvon Martin case that happened earlier this year (that’s still going on).
Both victims were male, 17 years old, unarmed, and African American who were gunned down in Florida by white men who conveniently happened to be armed with a firearm.
Like, George Zimmerman, Dunn too is denying that race played a part in killing a black youth.
However, Dunn’s lawyer claims that there are no similarities between her client and Zimmerman.
“There are no comparisons to the Trayvon Martin situation,” said Robin Lemonidis, Dunn’s attorney. “He is devastated and horrified by the death of the teen.”
Lemonidis explained her client is no “vigilante” but did feel threatened and repeatedly shot at the youth-filled car out of “self defense.”
She said that he will plead self-defense and likely use the Stand Your Ground law to justify his murder.
The victim’s father, Ron Davis, told CNN affiliate WAWS that he wants to see justice, “Whether it be through the legal system or to God. God’s going to punish him for that, so me, I don’t want to do anything to him.”
Source: CNN, New York Daily News
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