In a case that's drawing comparisons to the killing of Florida teen Trayvon Martin, a white man is facing murder and attempted-murder charges for allegedly shooting Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old African-American student, at a Jacksonville, Fla., gas station.
The dispute started over loud music, but he may invoke — you guessed it — the state's "Stand your ground" statute in his defense. From Time magazine:
In an incident that took place Nov. 23, Jacksonville sheriffs say Michael Dunn, a 45-year-old from Satellite Beach, Fla., pulled into a gas station parking lot where Jordan Davis, 17, and three friends were sitting in an SUV Friday evening. Dunn made a comment about the loud music blaring from the vehicle and told them to turn it down. An argument ensued between Dunn, who is white, and Davis, who is black, after which Dunn allegedly pulled out a gun and began firing into the vehicle. Davis was fatally wounded. "Nobody else in the vehicle was struck, just our victim," said Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Homicide Lt. Rob Schoonover at a press conference. "Which was lucky because the vehicle was shot, I believe, eight or nine times."
Dunn was in the Jacksonville area to attend his son's wedding. He was on the way back to his hotel when he pulled into the gas station and encountered Davis and his friends. His girlfriend was in the gas station's convenience store during the shooting and the two jumped into his car and fled the scene afterward. Dunn did not realize he had hit any of the passengers, but upon seeing the news report of the shooting death at their hotel, they left for his residence in Brevard County, Schoonover said.
Eyewitnesses gave police the car's license plate number, which they used to track the suspect down and arrest him at his home the following morning. Schoonover said Dunn was reportedly in the process of turning himself in to a neighbor who works in law enforcement. He was taken into custody on charges of second degree murder, to which he pleaded not guilty in a Duval County court.
Read more at Time.