Michael Dunn Sentenced To Life In 'Loud Music' Trial
Michael Dunn was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole on Friday for the 2012 Florida shooting death of unarmed black teenager Jordan Davis. The sentence, in what was deemed the “loud music trial,” also carries an additional 90 years for three previous convictions of attempted murder — 30 consecutive years for each count — and 15 concurrent years for firing a gun into an occupied vehicle.
Dunn, 47, who is white, fired 10 rounds at the 17-year-old African-American and his friends in November 2012 after fighting with them about music coming from their SUV in a Jacksonville parking lot. During a retrial on Oct. 1, jurors unanimously found Dunn guilty of first-degree murder for Davis’ death. In Florida, first-degree murder is punishable by life in prison without parole.
In February, Dunn was convicted of three counts of second-degree attempted murder toward Davis’ friends. But after more than 30 hours, jurors couldn’t reach a verdict on his first-degree murder charge, resulting in a mistrial on that count.
Michael Dunn found guiltyAt the hearing on Friday, Dunn read a brief statement and, for the first time, publicly apologized for killing the teen. Several of Davis’ family members and friends attended the hearing and addressed Dunn.
“I miss his big, wide, toothy smile,” Davis’ mother, Lucy McBath, said through tears. “For me, there will be no college graduation. There will be no daughter-in-law. For me, there will be no future generation.”
She went on to add, “I, too, must be willing to forgive. And so I choose to forgive you, Mr. Dunn, for taking my son’s life. I pray that God has mercy on your soul.”
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| Murder victim Jordan Davis (right) Convicted murderer Michael Dunn (left) |
By Michele Richnick, Oct. 17, 2014, Msnbc.com
Michael Dunn was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole on Friday for the 2012 Florida shooting death of unarmed black teenager Jordan Davis. The sentence, in what was deemed the “loud music trial,” also carries an additional 90 years for three previous convictions of attempted murder — 30 consecutive years for each count — and 15 concurrent years for firing a gun into an occupied vehicle.
Dunn, 47, who is white, fired 10 rounds at the 17-year-old African-American and his friends in November 2012 after fighting with them about music coming from their SUV in a Jacksonville parking lot. During a retrial on Oct. 1, jurors unanimously found Dunn guilty of first-degree murder for Davis’ death. In Florida, first-degree murder is punishable by life in prison without parole.
In February, Dunn was convicted of three counts of second-degree attempted murder toward Davis’ friends. But after more than 30 hours, jurors couldn’t reach a verdict on his first-degree murder charge, resulting in a mistrial on that count.
Michael Dunn found guiltyAt the hearing on Friday, Dunn read a brief statement and, for the first time, publicly apologized for killing the teen. Several of Davis’ family members and friends attended the hearing and addressed Dunn.
“I miss his big, wide, toothy smile,” Davis’ mother, Lucy McBath, said through tears. “For me, there will be no college graduation. There will be no daughter-in-law. For me, there will be no future generation.”
She went on to add, “I, too, must be willing to forgive. And so I choose to forgive you, Mr. Dunn, for taking my son’s life. I pray that God has mercy on your soul.”
Read the full story: www.msnbc.com
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