E.O. Green School shooting

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Lawrence "Larry" King, victim of the E.O. Green School shooting
Lawrence "Larry" King, victim of the E.O. Green School shooting

The E.O. Green School shooting refers to the shooting and murder of Lawrence Fobes "Larry" King[1] (January 13, 1993[2] – February 12, 2008), a 15-year-old student at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, California, United States, on February 12, 2008. Fellow student Brandon McInerney has been charged with murder and his lawyer, William "Willie" Quest, is seeking a relocation of the venue.[3] It was alleged that the suspect's motivation for the crime was that King was gay and had asked McInerney to be his valentine,[4] and as such, the shooting was deemed a hate crime by prosecutors.[5]

Contents

Overview

At approximately 8:15 a.m., on February 12, 2008, an eighth grade 15-year-old boy, identified as Lawrence Fobes King (“Larry”)[6] was shot in the head in a computer lab classroom.[7] King was transported to St. John's Regional Medical Center and was listed in serious condition. Examiners declared King brain dead on February 13, 2008.[8] King was kept on life support until February 15, 2008, so his organs could be donated.[9] It was reported that King was shot because he was openly gay and sometimes dressed in a "feminine" manner. Prosecutors had discussed charging the alleged shooter, 14-year-old McInerney, with premeditated murder with enhancements for the use of a firearm and commission of a hate crime.[10]

Response

Thousands of people across the United States rallied to remember Lawrence King. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), an organization working to end bullying and harassment in schools regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA Network), a California youth-driven gay rights organization, organized local vigils in memory of King. 2008's annual Day of Silence, which is intended to protest LGBT harassment and occurred on April 25, was specially dedicated to King.[11] Vigils and marches were organized across the United States.[12] An estimated 1,000 people marched in Oxnard, California, the weekend following the murder to pay their respects to King and raise public awareness of homophobic violence.[13]

Sympathies for King have been expressed by numerous people including Judy Shepard,[14] Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese,[15] Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama,[16] and television personality Ellen DeGeneres.[17]

California Diversity Bill

The introduction of a new diversity education bill by California Assemblyperson Mike Eng was introduced on behalf of King. The new bill would require mandatory classes on diversity and tolerance in California school districts. "We need to teach young people that there's a curriculum called tolerance education that should be in every school. We should teach young people that diversity is not something to be assaulted, but diversity is something that needs to be embraced because diversity makes California the great state that it is," Eng said.[18]

References

  1. ^ "A deadly clash of emotions before Oxnard shooting." Los Angeles Times. 2.
  2. ^ RememberLarry.com
  3. ^ Ventura County Star - Change of venue in shooting considered http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/feb/29/change/
  4. ^ Huffington Post, "Ellen Chokes Up Remembering Murdered Gay Teen", 11 March 2008, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/29/ellen-chokes-up-rememberi_n_89201.html
  5. ^ Associated Press, Lawyer for Oxnard school shooting defendant may seek venue change, 29 February 2008, http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_8407076
  6. ^ "GaySoFla.com remembers Lawrence "Larry" King - A Young Hero". Miami Herald (February 19, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  7. ^ "Police say 1 person wounded in shooting in the computer lab.", Associated Press, 2008-02-12. 
  8. ^ "Boy, 15, declared brain dead after school shooting," CNN
  9. ^ "Organs harvested from Oxnard school shooting victim" San Jose Mercury News, February 15, 2008
  10. ^ "Tolerance can’t be tolerated anymore", California Catholic Daily, February 19, 2008
  11. ^ Students from Record 7,500 K-12 Schools Registered for Today's National Day of Silence (2008-04-25). Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  12. ^ rememberinglawrence.org
  13. ^ "1000 March For Officially Dead Lawrence King", Queerty, February 18, 2008
  14. ^ matthewshepard.org
  15. ^ "Slaying of Gay Oxnard Student Spurs Diversity Education Bill", Gay Wired, February 19, 2008
  16. ^ "Democratic Candidates Release Lawrence King Comments", Qweerty, February 25, 2008
  17. ^ Ellen DeGeneres: The Hate Must Stop - TV News, Ellen DeGeneres : People.com
  18. ^ "Mike Eng announces tolerance-promoting Bill" (streaming video)

See also

External links