This sounds familiar.
A 14-year-old New Orleans teenager is in critical condition after a homeowner shot him in the head, claiming the “suspicious” child was about to rob his house.
The teen, Marshall Coulter, was unarmed and did not pose an “imminent threat,” according to police.
Merritt Landry, 33, is now facing second-degree attempted murder for shooting.
The teen was standing near Landry’s vehicle, which was parked in the gated driveway in front of Landry’s house on Mandeville Street, when he was shot.
Police say the teen, who has a history of burglary arrests, did not pose an ‘imminent threat,’ according to the Times-Picayune.
Landry claims otherwise, saying Coulter made a quick movement ‘as if to reach for something,’ so he shot him out of concern for his own safety, according to an arrest warrant.
Coulter was shot from 30 feet away, according to evidence recovered at the scene. He can’t move the left side of his body and doctors say if he survives, he will likely suffer severe brain damage.
The shooting, which occurred on Friday of last week, has dredged up sentiments similar to those experienced in the wake of the George Zimmerman trial, as Landry is of Hispanic descent and Marshall is black.
And despite Landry’s suspicions and claims that Marshall intended on robbing him, his family says the teen is innocent.
“He would steal – he was a professional thief, sure,” Coulter’s 23-year-old brother, David, told the Times-Picayune. “But he would never pick up a gun, not in a million years. He was too scared to aim a gun at the grass, let alone aim it at a person. No way. Before he’ll ever pick up a gun, he’ll be your friend first.”
“He’s still a little boy,” the brother added. “Who pulls a trigger on a 14-year-old? What if it was your little brother or your sister? How would you feel?”
We’re praying for Marshall’s speedy recovery.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | Times-Picayune
