Justin B Smith, 28, is a U.S. Air Force Veteran. He grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland but presently resides in Baltimore.Justin is a Gay Activist. Since 1999 he has worked with various gay organizations including the National Black Justice Coalition, Human Rights Campaign, Equality Maryland, Us Helping Us, and People Into Living Incorporated.
Justin is currently enrolled in school pursuing his degree in Communications and Journalism.
Lawrence King, 15, the victim of a school shooting and supposed hate-crime, was pronounced dead on Wednesday February 13th. King was shot in the head Tuesday by another eighth-grader near the end of first period in a computer lab. He was pronounced brain-dead Wednesday afternoon shortly after being shot and was taken off of his ventilator that night after having his organs removed for donation, according to senior country deputy medical examiner Craig Stevens.
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The shooter, 14 year old Brandon McInerney of Oxnard, CA. faces charges of murder and use of a firearm in commission of murder
Due to the heinous nature of this crime McInerney faces up to 50 years in prison. It also appears that this heinous crime was caused by his hostility to King's wearing high-heels, makeup, and jewelry, and his being gay.
 Rosario Salinas comforts her 13-year-old daughter, Jocelyn. Jocelyn is a friend of the victim. |
The shooting occurred near the end of the first period, during an English class that had moved from a classroom to the computer lab, said Jerry Dannenberg, superintendent of the Hueneme School District. Dannenberg said 22 other students were in the lab at the time. The one-story campus, which includes grades six though eight, does not have metal detectors.
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McInerney, 14, reportedly told peers that Lawrence was "having his last day,"
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Lawrence King, 15, the victim of a school shooting and supposed hate-crime, was pronounced dead on Wednesday February 13th. King was shot in the head Tuesday by another eighth-grader near the end of first period in a computer lab. He was pronounced brain-dead Wednesday afternoon shortly after being shot and was taken off of his ventilator that night after having his organs removed for donation, according to senior country deputy medical examiner Craig Stevens.
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|
The shooter, 14 year old Brandon McInerney of Oxnard, CA. faces charges of murder and use of a firearm in commission of murder
Due to the heinous nature of this crime McInerney faces up to 50 years in prison. It also appears that this heinous crime was caused by his hostility to King's wearing high-heels, makeup, and jewelry, and his being gay.
Rosario Salinas comforts her 13-year-old daughter, Jocelyn. Jocelyn is a friend of the victim. |
The shooting occurred near the end of the first period, during an English class that had moved from a classroom to the computer lab, said Jerry Dannenberg, superintendent of the Hueneme School District. Dannenberg said 22 other students were in the lab at the time. The one-story campus, which includes grades six though eight, does not have metal detectors.
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McInerney, 14, reportedly told peers that Lawrence was "having his last day,"
"(Lawrence) 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."
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Classmates reported that Lawrence was a frequent victim of teasing and harassment.
School officials aware of the teasing and had spoken with Lawrence before the shooting, but that obviously wasn't enough.
Now school official are planning to review all of their harassment policies.
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About three-quarters of the junior high's 1,150 student body showed up Wednesday for school, where psychologists held counseling sessions, Dannenberg said.
Oxnard is about 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
GenderPAC (The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition) Executive Director, Riki Wilchins gave this statement, "This is a tragedy. More young people are claiming the basic right to express their gender authentically, but fatal violence against them keeps occurring. Our hearts go out to the family involved. We hope this unnecessary death will help wake people up to the many other young people who have left us too soon."
GenderPAC's mission is to work to ensure that classrooms, communities, and workplaces are safe for everyone to learn, grow, and succeed -- whether or not they fit expectations for masculinity or femininity.
GenderPAC's 2007 report, 50 Under 30: Masculinity & the War on America's Youth documents an under-reported tide of violent assaults that has claimed the lives of more than 50 young people 30 and under since 1995 in assaults that targeted them because of their gender identity or gender expression. About 9 in 10 were biological males who were presenting femininely, like Lawrence. 88% were Black or Latina; one-third were teenagers. http://www.50under30.org