Michael Dunn, the white man who shot at a car full of African American teenagers in Jacksonville, Fla. in 2012, killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis, is heading back to court.
CNN reports that Dunn, who was convicted in February on three counts of second-degree attempted murder, is back on trial because the jury came to a deadlock on the charge of first-degree, premeditated murder. Jury selection for the new trial began today (Sept. 22) and the retrial is expected to last about two weeks. Supporters for Davis were out in full force as family members addressed their gratitude. "We just want to thank the country and thank you all for the wonderful support and prayers that you've given us these last two years," Davis' mother, Lucia McBath said. "We could not do this without you. We're very grateful for every moment that we've been on your minds and your hearts."
Davis' death was the result of a disagreement over the teens playing loud music. Dunn claimed he fired 10 shots at the Dodge Durango in self-defense after allegedly seeing a gun barrel pointed at him. "I'm looking out the window, and I said, 'You're not going to kill me you son of a bitch, and I shot," Dunn testified during the trial. No gun was ever found and Florida's Stand Your Ground law was brought into question. A sign outside the courthouse today reportedly read, "Is it OK to murder me because I like loud music?"
Dunn has yet to be senteced for the first convictions, which carry with them a minimum of 60 years in addition to another 15 for the charge of shooting into a vehicle. "If he winds up with 60 or 75 years in jail, from a pragmatic standpoint it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to retry the case," CNN legal analyst Paul Callan said after the first trial. "On the other hand if you're the parents of Jordan Davis and you believe, as well you should, that your son's reputation has been besmirched by this self-defense claim, the family (might) want a retrial, and that's something that a prosecutor has to consider carefully."
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