Shades Of Trayvon? 76-Year-Old Man To Stand Trial In Shooting Death Of 13-Year-Old Boy

The Milwaukee man accused the 13-year-old of stealing from him, and his trial begins this week.

Police say John Henry Spooner confronted Darius Simmons, who lived next door with his mother, as the teen took out the trash. Spooner, who is white, had suspected that Simmons, who was black, stole $3,000 worth of shotguns from him, and demanded that the sixth-grader return them. Simmons denied stealing the guns, and his mother, Patricia Larry, told Spooner to go back inside.

Instead, prosecutors say, Spooner pulled out a handgun and shot the 13-year-old in the chest from near-point blank range.

“When police arrived, Spooner was still on the sidewalk, holding the gun,” according to the criminal complaint. “When told to drop the weapon, he placed it on the ground and told police, ‘Yeah, I shot him.'”

An autopsy showed that Simmons, who was unarmed, suffered a gunshot wound to his torso, according to the Associated Press. Spooner was charged with first degree murder. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

By: William

retired military , former cop, lifelong gym rat and doting grandfather alive and living in Maine