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Scott Wippert, attorney for murder defendant Brandon McInerney speaks to media outside court Nick Ut/AP/Press Association Images

Teen accused of shooting dead student "because he was gay"

His attorney is pictured speaking outside court yesterday, where potential jurors were questioned about their views on homosexuality and hate crimes.

A TEENAGER HAS gone on trial in Los Angeles, charged with murdering a 15-year-old boy who reportedly made sexual advances towards him.

The VC Star reports that Brandon McInerney (17) is accused of shooting dead his classmate Larry King in a computer lab at EO Green School in Oxnard, Ventura County.

He is also charged with a hate crime because he allegedly had white supremacist views and was influenced by Nazism.

King is reported to have identified as gay and worn make-up and women’s clothing.

McInerney’s defence lawyer indicated that his client pulled the trigger “in the heat of passion”.

He said King had “sexually harassed” the accused.

The 36 potential jurors on the trial were quizzed about views on homosexuality, white supremacy and the age of the defendant by the Senior Deputy District Attorney Maeve Fox and defence attorney Scott Wippert before the 12 final jurors were chosen.

There were between 25 and 30 people in the computer lab when King was killed.

McInerney is being tried as an adult and faces 53 years to life in prison if convicted of all the charges against him.

For more information read this story in the VC Star>

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7 Comments
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    Mute Louis De Courcy
    Favourite Louis De Courcy
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    Jul 6th 2011, 10:09 AM

    What is a school kid doing with a gun in school?

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    Mute Andy
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    Jul 6th 2011, 11:46 AM

    Its America, have you been living under a rock for the last 10 years.

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    Mute Jane Ward
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    Jul 6th 2011, 2:17 PM

    Such a waste of life.

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    Mute Andy
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    Jul 6th 2011, 11:47 AM

    McInerney’s defence lawyer indicated that his client pulled the trigger “in the heat of passion”

    Given his clients distaste for Homosexuals passion was probably the wrong choice of words there.

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    Mute Gunnar Dangle
    Favourite Gunnar Dangle
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    Jul 6th 2011, 10:39 AM

    This happens all the time in Los Angeles where kids come to school with a gun, lots of tough neighbourhoods surrounding the affluent hollywood area
    If you look at any local LA news stations
    evening news broadcast you will see it dominated by such violence as guns, murders, drive bys shootings
    Most of these events dont even make it to worldwide news.
    Unfortunalty America has a love with firearms and i dont see it going away

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    Mute Collie Woods
    Favourite Collie Woods
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    Jul 6th 2011, 7:17 PM

    A district in Texas passed a motion to allow school kids above a certain age to carry concealed firearms in schools for self defence and protection.

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    Mute Marc Samberg
    Favourite Marc Samberg
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    Jul 7th 2011, 2:50 AM

    It sounds real believable that a transvestite teen was harassing this macho piece of shit. I live where Gwen Arguello was killed a few years ago and some people here are really SICK.

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