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Subscribe to RSSThe mother of teenager shot during argument over loud music called the deadly outburst "unconscionable." WTLV's Heather Crawford reports.
A Florida gun collector has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge alleging that he opened fire on a car full of unarmed teenagers, killing one, in an altercation that police say stemmed from loud music.
Michael David Dunn, 45, acted "as any responsible firearms owner would have," his lawyer said of the Friday evening incident at a gas station outside a convenience store in Jacksonville, Fla.
Dunn and his girlfriend were in Jacksonville for his son's wedding when they pulled up in their car next to the teens. Police allege that while the girlfriend was in the store, Dunn told Jordan Russell Davis, 17, and his three friends to turn down their music.
"It was loud," Jacksonville homicide Lt. Rob Schoonover said of the teens' music. "They admitted that. That's not a reason for someone to open fire."
After an exchange of words, Dunn began shooting with a handgun, Schoonover said.
"Nobody else in that vehicle was struck; it was just our victim [Davis], which was lucky because the vehicle was shot eight or nine times," Schoonover said.
Davis was in the back seat and was struck twice, reported The Orlando Sentinel.
Dunn and his girlfriend drove off and spent the night at their hotel, according to Schoonover, but witnesses took down his license plate number. Police arrested him Saturday morning at his home in Satellite Beach, Fla., on one charge of murder and three charges of attempted murder.
"His side of the story is he felt threatened and that is the reason he took action," Schoonover said.
On Monday, Dunn — a gun collector who shot at local gun ranges, according to authorities — pleaded not guilty in Brevard County court, with his attorney describing his actions as self-defense.
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"Once all the facts come out, that what really happened is known, it will be very clear that Mr. Dunn acted responsibly and as any responsible firearms owner would have acted under these same circumstances," said his attorney, Robin Lemonidis, reported FirstCoastNews.com, the website for NBC station WTLV in Jacksonville.
Dunn's 20-year-old daughter, Rebecca, told FirstCoastNews.com, "he just reacted," adding that his family was rallying behind him.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Michael Dunn is accused of the shooting death of Jordan Davis.
"Everyone in his life loves him and everyone who met him, all of my friends are praying for him," she said.
Dunn, who had been in Brevard County Jail after his arrest, was transferred back to Duval County, where the shooting happened, on Tuesday. His girlfriend won't face any charges.
"When she came out [of the convenience store], she asked him, 'What's going on?'" Schoonover said. "Supposedly his statement was, 'I just fired at these kids.' I don't know if he knew that he struck anyone in the vehicle. The next morning, I guess when they woke up in the hotel and saw on the news that someone was killed, that's when they got in their car and fled."
Davis, the victim, lived with his father in Florida, but was to be buried in Georgia — where he was born — on Saturday, reported jacksonville.com.
Davis' mother, Lucia McBath, who lives outside of Atlanta, asked that her son's death not be thought of as a hate crime.
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"We don't know where he was or what kind of dark place he was in at that moment, but something snapped in that man. Something snapped in him, so we are not looking at it as the hate crime because that's not going to honor Jordan," McBath told FirstCoastNews.com.
She said the fact that Dunn drove off after shooting Davis was "unconscionable."
Davis, a high school junior, had just gotten a job at McDonald's, picking up some extra cash after work, his mom said. At Thanksgiving the day before his death, he said he was thankful to God for his family, his mom told FirstCoastNews.com.
"He was just so excited and happy" for everything in his life, she said.
She said the family is starting a foundation in his memory to help at-risk children.
"It didn't matter to Jordan if you needed the help, you needed the support — he was going to give it to you no matter what side of the tracks you came from. So we feel it's really important to honor that in him," she said.
Ron Davis, the victim's father, added: "I was looking forward to as a parent to being there when he got married, being there when he found love. All the things that I'm not going to be able to do is what pains me."
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Not Guilty, That is rich! He forgot to stick around and stand up for the Law he now Touts. @!$%# him and the BS he is hiding behind now. A man, An American who believes in the Law he now pretends he believes in calls teh Police and does not wait till they come for him.
Your Going to Jail and you can be a Hero to the other Losers that think they are Heros!
Kiss Bubba for me XO
God, guns and NASCAR
MUST BE A REDNECK!
well You can thank the first ammendment the right to bear arms....I am sure he was scared the music was very frightening .... He went back to his hotel room leaving that young man to die and was so afraid he and his girl slept soo soundly it was amazing...
You have to be kidding me!!!!!!!!
Um, That would be the 2nd Ammendment
2nd or first who cares do you have nothing better to do then critique what one is saying
this dunn character sounds like a real intolerant hothead....some people should never own guns.
clearly an old white man with a hatred against rap music and the young black kids whom listen to it at loud bass pumping volumes. i've had to TOLERATE loud rap music coming out of cars in the 1980's and the 1990's, but would never go as far to kill somebody for being music obnoxious, just ignore it and drive off. i am calling this a racist shooting over possible cultural bias from a snap-hair-trigger gun owner. throw this old fart in jail and throw away the key for murder.
It just never ceases to amaze me how much hatred there is in this country, especially when you consider we are all born without any sort of choice over what color/ethnicity/nationality we are.
but, maybe it was rap music
GuyFromSanDIego: "One more unarmed person dead because of this idiotic law."
No Sir, One more person is dead because Michael David Dunn fired a gun and killed him. Pretty simple. If the article represents what truely happened, this person will pay for his crime. While it is a tragedy, the only blame belongs to Michael Dunn. Don't blame a gun or a law, place the blame where it belongs.
Yes, but he is actually using Stand Your Ground as a defense, which is an insult and a tragedy all in itself. We have a country where a person can actually defend their murderous actions by claiming they "felt" threatened. Maybe these trigger happy nutters should grow a thicker skin and they wouldn't feel threatened enough to start shooting at every single shadow that crosses their path.
Because of this law this trial will undoubtedly drag on for years as a family grieves. Even the possibility that this guy could get away with murder should make you recognize the stupidity written into this law.
I come from generations of gun owners and there has never been any incident, not even an accident. I am really embarrassed by these people and my prayers are with the family of these young people, but repeating that he was a "gun collector" & practiced at "local guns ranges" is just trying to paint all guns owners with a broad brush. A sad and tragic story like this should not be used to promote a political agenda.
Why waste taxpayers money and time send this no good ba---rd to the fry pan.
8 OR 9 shots and he only hit one. WTF ?
Proving once again gun control doesn't work. 1 shot 1 kill
Lesson to be learned here - Best learn to turn down your @!$%#ing music!
Or what lawman, you're gonna start shooting too? There is no excuse for people like you. Music is a form of expression. If there is a noise ordinance that is being broken then let the cops handle it. Acting like a neighborhood vigilante and confronting every kid with a radio only makes you an aggressor. These kids had no reason to acquiesce to the demands of some jackass in a convenience store parking lot. And he sure as hell had no authority to shoot up a car full of unarmed teenagers - no matter what "names" they called him.
Yet another person who for years had been fantasizing about how one day he was going to finally get to use his gun. Now, he gets to spend the rest of his life regretting he ever bought a gun. This story seems to be happening almost daily all over the USA. A father who killed his son because he though it was an intruder. A wife killing her husband for the same reason, etc.
If you have a gun, you undoubtedly have fantasized about using it, being a hero, or punishing somebody who deserved it. The problem is that it seldom times ends up happening that way.
I think you are projecting a bit there buddy. That's a pretty sick mindset you have. So how do you feel about someone who wants to be police officer? Have they "undoubtedly have fantasized about using it, being a hero, or punishing somebody who deserved it." ?
i am a advid gun owner with a permit to carry in las vegas. first there was not enough information own what happened. now,if this guy is found to be in the wrong,he should be tried for murder. lets not put a hate on this matter....enough of this going own in america now. i send my prayers to his mom and dad.
SEMPER FI
USMC RETIRED
The problem here is you know as will as I do WHY this happened...who are you trying to fool here. A drunk (coming from a wedding ...come on you know I'm right) old white guy in FLA. a car full of young blk kids doing what kids do..(no big deal I'll be out of this gas station in less than 5 mins) and he shoot his mouth off because he and his little gun with him otherwise he would have kept his mouth shut the coward and look what happened. This was 100% uncalled for and we BOTH know why this REALLY happened!
yes let's not jump to conclusions. the one man was armed and had a gun the other being a juvenile who was unarmed but for a loud radio if thats the way the world is going then I should have been killed about 100 times already amd 35 years ago instead I served my country proud also Semper Fi to you too
As I understand the laws regarding the use of firearms here in Florida. This guy had absolutely NO, NONE and ZERO justification in this incident. Where was the threat? Was it from the flats or the sharpes?
His lawyer says that, "he acted as any reasonable gun owner would." Really! HELLO!
What bus did he just get off of! With that kind of statement, I do not like this guys chances of acquittal!
Turn that damn music down Snoop Dog!
Why should anyone care what you think....? I wouldn't be blasting Snoop Dogg (maybe KISS) but I would give a rats a$$ if you liked it or not... who are you...? Oh wait you're nobody! Get over yourself...you don't matter!
Watch out Keyo, don't tell people like ddave here that they can't be the boss of you - they might just fall back on their little security blanket/hand cannon.
Sorry for there loss. Guess he wont be playing LOUD music no mo. Just saying
So music is so terrible that it's OK to get shot for it as if these kids were asking for trouble simply for playing music??
wtf
The fact is the white guy shot the black kid. The big question now is why? It's not so much the boys made the white man unconfortable, it goes back a lot further. Despite all the claims by do gooders it still comes down to race. And that goes goes both ways. The old prejudices and hates still exist and until they're done with this will happen again. There are those that make their living on this and I don't have to name them, you see them enough on TV. Each race will have to show that they are not hate mongers but are really decent people and that "do unto others..." goes a long way. There are no winners in race fights, just losers.
I wonder if he would have shot into a car with a bunch of white kids playing head banger music.
It must suck to be SO afraid of EVERYTHING you have to carry a gun to your sons wedding.... what a COWARD this loser is. And who is this stain that anyone should have to listen to HIM! I sure wouldn't .... he needed to get his stuff and went home BUT NOOOOOOOO!
I will guarantee you that the teens didn't turn it down and didn't keep their mouth shut. They play this foul mouth crap/ rap with the booming base as loud as they can and could care less for anyone around them. If you say anything, they attack you no matter the race.
I can understand where he came from though. I personally would not have done that although there are many a times I wish I could destroy the booming noise maker especially when I can't think, hear my rider or my TV in my living room from the car across the street or down the street.
It sounds like life is really tough for you. I hope you don't own a gun.
How do you know it was "foul mouthed rap"? Look, if some hillbilly told me to turn my music down I would tell him to @!$%# off too. What did this guy think was going to happen - a car full of teenage boys was going to simply say "Sorry massa, I didn'a realize my musics was so terribly loud?" No way. They told him to @!$%# off and he got pissed and shot them while they sat in their car. Hell he probably started the fight by getting all hot headed right from the start.
He is a racist @!$%# who deserves the chair.
You can't just go around telling people what to do to fall in line with what makes you feel comfortable in life.
Lets see what happens here. This so called responsible gun collector is guilty of being a irresponsible gun owner, just like the gangsters and or thugs on the streets of America. I'm sure if he didn't have a gun on him, he would of just waited for his wife to come out of the convenient store and left. So I believe he confronted these kids with the intent to shoot at them. Lets see what happens to him, because he is a white man who happens to be a gun collector and this kid was African American. I know this was not a hate crime, is was just a stupid man with a gun who didn't have enough metal to deal with his anger in the proper manner. And I hope he gets what he deserves. No one and I mean no one should be shooting at people or a person, except for life threatening circumstances. Bottom line here, there is no reason to pull out a gun over music. This man tore apart a family over loud music, this killer, killed a young person for no reason at all. He deserves life with no parole to say the least!
i'm reading these comments and i cannot believe how racist and ignorant most of you are. You fall into the hands of mass media like putty. Cleanse, fold, and manipulate. Like the one comment, "let me guess, he wasn't white". look at the article id10t. his picture is right effing there. and yeah, that's what he paid his lawyer to do, "responsible gun owner...". the fact is that since he drove away, there is no cause for stand your ground. you people are morons. And why the heck doesn't jacksonville have noise ordinances? I know what would have prevented this! A permit for loud music. misogynistic rap, preferably. But, you are all experts in criminal law and you were all there, witnessing the whole incident, so...
Stand your ground MY ASS ,,,,,,,,hope he likes the music in jail F%$in gun crazy redneck
This has absolutely nothing to do with 'stand your ground'.
What a moron. The only threat to him is his IQ.
I consider myself a "reasonable gun owner" and there was absolutely nothing reasonable about what this guy did. Justice will be served. They need to lock up his lawyer with him.
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! A gun owner enthusiast should know that you can't just open fire randomly on a car and expect that the bullets are just going to scare someone. If the guy felt threatened he could of just taken off - instead he showered the car with bullets and killed someone. He is responsible for the kids death period.