Police: White Man Kills Florida Teen Over Loud Music

Jacksonville, Florida resident Michael Dunn (pictured left), 45, is suspected of killing Jordan Davis (pictured right), 17, after shooting into the SUV carrying the teen 8 or 9 times because he felt “threatened,” reports News4Jax.com.

Dunn and his girlfriend were reportedly returning from his son’s wedding when they pulled into Gate gas station at approximately 7:40 p.m. November 23rd.

Davis and several other teens (two 17-year-olds and an 18 year-old) were sitting in an SUV playing music. Dunn, apparently having a problem with the volume, told the teens to turn the music down, leading him and Davis — who was sitting in the backseat — to exchange words.

Everything went downhill from there.

News4Jax.com reports:

“Evidently there were words exchanged between our victim, who was sitting in the backseat of that vehicle, and our suspect,” JSO Lt. Rob Schoonover said at a news conference Monday morning. “For whatever reason, our suspect produced a weapon and began firing into the vehicle.”

Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old Wolfson High School student, was shot a couple of times, police said.

Investigators said Dunn’s girlfriend had gone into the store to buy something at the time and was inside when the shooting happened.

“She came running outside and she jumped in the vehicle, when they took off,” Schoonover said.

The woman, whose name was not released, will not face charges, police said. They said she has been cooperating with investigators.

“When she came out, she asked him, ‘What’s going on?’” Schoonover said. “Supposedly his statement was, ‘I just fired at these kids.’ And we believe at that time, I don’t know if he knew he struck anyone in the vehicle. But the next morning, I guess, when they woke up in the hotel and saw the news that someone was killed, that’s when they got in their car and fled back to Brevard (County).”

Witnesses spotted the license plate number and helped police locate Dunn.

“It turned out to be excellent information,” Schoonover said.

Dunn, of Satellite Beach, was arrested Saturday at his central Florida home. Schoonover said he was in the process of turning himself in to his neighbor, who is in law enforcement.

Dunn’s attorney, Robin Lemonidis, said that once all of the details come out, it will be clear that he was not in the wrong.

“Once all the facts come out, what really happened is made known, that it will be very clear that Mr. Dunn acted responsibly and as any responsible firearms owner acted under these same circumstances,” Lemonidis said.

Schoonover said that the teens admitted to playing loud music, but that does not justify shooting at them. Davis’ father said that he does not want revenge because it will not bring his son back; he just wants to look Dunn in the eye and understand why he killed his son.

According to police, there were no guns in the vehicle and none of the teens were carrying weapons. It is unclear at this time why Dunn claims to have felt threatened.