Comments on: Brandon McInerney: Ventura County’s Sacrificial Lamb

By: Tash Consolati

Tash Consolati — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:46:28 +0000

Just a few questions- How is it in any way the schools responsibilty to stop students from shooting each other? Even if there was tension between the two students (and lets face it, what 14 year old doesn’t have a highschool bully?) in what universe is the standard reaction to teen angst ‘we better stop one of them from commiting murder’? Even in the US, which witness almost 3 times as many school shootings as the rest of the world put together (it’s 39:110 if anyone is interested), surely that cannot be so common an event?

At what point do we start holding people accountable? If they had gotten into a scrap, if a violent fight had broken out after a run in, then sure, I would agree, 14 year olds can’t control themselves, teen boys are testosterone driven bundles of gawky, sexually confused energy that will erupt into play ground scuffles at the least provocation.

However. Threatening days in advance, finding a gun, going to target practice the day before, taking said gun to school and then executing someone with two shots to the back of the head is not the act of an out of control teen. It’s meticulous in it’s planing. It shows forethought and preparation.

I think it’s tragic that anyone so young should have to spend there life in jail, but not as tragic as the fact that the faculties to plan and carry out a murder was so present in such a young person, regardless of how well behaved and smart he was previous to blowing out the brains of a kid who made him feel uncomfortable.
The fact that he grew up without anyone teaching him how to deal with unpleasant encounters or unwanted romantic advances should never have been anything more than unfortunate, but the response of killing the source of said advances can’t be blamed on some inability to cope with embarasment. The suggestion is ludicrous. Cofused or unhappy, angry maybe even depressed would all have been normal, understandable, forgivable reactions to someone who couldn’t cope with that kind of situation. Murderous rage however, is not

By: Brian robinson

Brian robinson — Wed, 18 May 2011 07:58:12 +0000

I personally know brandon,he is a good kid. HE HAD DREAMS OF BEING A MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST. He had dreams of helping underprivalidged kids,he had goals. He was placed in a situation he could not understand.constantly humiliated in front of his peers.he DID TRY getting help from school officials in the sexual harrasment of him by larry king.no larry didnt deserve what he got.it was no hate crime bear..brandons nickname…tried to get anyone he could to help him…he got no answers. The schools vice principal is openly gay and only cloddled larry.wrong to do to a child who was being coached on his sexuality.larry was confused..he wanted and liked tbe attention he was getting..to even say for a moment that larry king is not partially responsible is wrong.he threatened brandon witbh telling bis peers tbat they were in a relationship if bear did not go to an upcomng school dance with him..where are thbe facts that led up to the tradgedy???

By: Adam Nichols

Adam Nichols — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:21:37 +0000

how can people accept the gay panic defense? brandon tried to get a group of kids together so they could gang beat up king. He brought the gun to the school in the first with intent to use it. He waited 20 minutes into the class to pull the trigger. He premeditated the murder and yet people don’t think he is mature enough to understand what he did. The kid should get the max sentence. Again i’ll ask this. Why are people willing to accept the gay panic defense. That it was lawrence’s fault because he hit on brandon. By the way apparently lawrence apparently only started to hit on the boys after months of them calling him “faggot”. It was his way to get back at them for it.

By: Jerad

Jerad — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:09:52 +0000

It amazes me how many apologists out there want to blame everyone here but the kid that pulled the trigger. I’m sure there’s plenty of blame to go around with the administrators at the school, the victim’s guardians, the killer’s family, etc. The fact of the matter is, Brandon purposefully took a gun to school, walked up to Larry, and shot him in the head. He deserves life in prison. If I supported the death penalty, I’d say fry him.

If every kid who was embarrassed and picked on in high school decided to shoot and kill someone, there’d be thousands of deaths in schools every year. There are NO mitigating circumstances for his actions that warrant killing someone.

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:16:23 +0000

I feel the it is awefully strange that the staff, adults at the E.O. Green school were not held accountable at all what so ever on the contrary they were dispersed to other schools in the county. What is that? The teachers and staff of this school had been witnesses to the previous conflict involving the two boys prior to this incident. I understand that the teachers are not educated in how to handle something lke this. But did they still not get any training before being scattered throughout Ventura County’s schools? So if something to this effect should occur are they not going to take action and precaution that this does not occur again? The teachers need to meet and report sucxh incidents to the parents and if that is not successful then it should be reported to the authorities. This would be wise to do. I sure am sorry that this had happened at all in my home county, it is truely a tragedy to have happened to those in my community, to those that I have known.

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:36:42 +0000

At the time of the murder Brandon was 14 years old, not 4. Being lenient on this boy will not deter people from killing others based on their sexual preference. Brandon is a cold blooded killer and needs to be treated that way. He not only took a life and scared a family. Think about all those teenagers that witnessed this horrible event. They will be forced to live with these thoughts forever. I’m a lesbian and hear about hate crimes that occur way too often. It is tragic that a young boys life had to be lost to draw attention to something that is an on going problem. You can’t go around doing as you please because someone pissed you off. My heart goes out to Larry’s family. RIP Larry.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:32:20 +0000

I am writing an analysis of 3 different articles pertaining to this case. One happens to be on Brandon as a sacrifial lamb. I read this piece and it is extremely sad that he is being punished as he is. I agree that it is unfair that 19 days is the deciding varient in whether or not Brandon will get another chance at life. Larry did not deserve to die. His embarrassing sexual advances towards the boys at school did not deserve to be punished with death. However, his problematic behavior shouldn’t be left out of the case because Brandon is being tried as an adult. He’ll get convicted either way but in one circumstance he’s aloud to have mitigating evidence and in the other it’s irrelevant? Maybe Brandon felt provoked and felt like it was the only solution to his problems because he was getting teased by his friends and Larry as well. Where is the adult decision making in that? Maybe he doesn’t understand the finality of death? He’s only 14. He’s not an adult. I agree with some of the things McWilliams says but its much more than a hate crime and much more than hate. It was a personal act. He’s not a born killer. He made a mistake and should have to pay but under fair circumstances. Why have two tragedies, two lost lives, when we are very able to fix one? An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

By: Penelope Burton

Penelope Burton — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:29:35 +0000

Rehabilitation is a GREAT idea, but in pratical application rarely effective. Another recent case in Ventura County involved a defendant, John Lewis. Lewis killed a man while in his teens, tried as an juevenile, served time as a juevenile, “rehabilitated”, released and killed again, before he was 30. If “rehabilitation” is the answer, then perhaps you should develope a system that “rehabilitates”. Sadly, killers seem to be born killers – some just get started earlier.

By: Stolen Boy

Stolen Boy — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 03:41:05 +0000

What they want to do to this boy is tragic. CYA is no walk in the park. Brandon McInerney’s days are numbered in a men’s adult prison if things are not reversed. We can’t have a zero-tolerance society that destroys children who commit violent and deadly acts. Punishment should be meted out as discipline and therapy. There are no other solutions. A death sentence is not the answer for the individual or society at large.

By: tg

tg — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 03:38:44 +0000

The prosecutors for youth in prisons should say “You are being given a Rape Sentence, you will be sexually abused and beat for the rest of your life in a Violent Prison”. Eventhough, Rape is a violent crime, that does not matter because if you committ a crime we do not care if you are raped everyday forever” Unless it were our kids, we would listen! So if Rape and sexual abuse is ok, then why is there Megans Law? Why are people convicted for many years for the very same crime. It matters! Save the youth…