MediaMSNBCVideoJordan Davis

Lawrence O'Donnell Mourns Jordan Davis, Teenager Killed Over Loud Music (VIDEO)

WATCH: Lawrence O'Donnell Mourns Boy Shot Dead In Florida
By 

Senior Media Editor, The Huffington Post

|

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Lawrence O'Donnell spoke on his Thursday show about the recent killing of Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old black student who was shot dead by an older white man in Florida last Friday.

Michael Dunn, 45, allegedly shot and killed Davis after arguing with him about the loud music he was playing in his car. He is now invoking Florida's notorious "Stand Your Ground" law, claiming that he thought he saw a shotgun in Davis' car. Police found no gun in the car, and Dunn was charged with second-degree murder. The case drew immediate comparisons to the killing of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager who was shot dead by George Zimmerman in 2012.

"Another angry white man in Florida has stood his ground in the face of an imagined threat, and another black 17-year-old high school junior who did nothing wrong is dead," O'Donnell said at the beginning of the segment.

He added that he first heard the story from a flight attendant who was a regular viewer of his show. She is planning to attend Davis' funeral.

He described how Dunn, who admitted to having "a couple" drinks, found Davis and some friends in a car with loud music playing:

"Michael Dunn decided he had the authority to tell the kids to turn down the volume. The kids did what most kids would do and what I certainly would have done under the circumstances: nothing. They didn't turn down the volume for the suddenly self-appointed volume cop of Jacksonville, Florida. So, Michael Dunn ... took out his handgun and started shooting. He fired eight bullets at the four kids in the car. Like most amateur cops, he completely missed his target with six of those bullets. The other two hit Jordan who was sitting in the middle of the back seat. Michael Dunn didn't behave in a very cop-like way after that. He immediately fled the scene. The kids quickly piled out of their car realizing they weren't injured, and looked back to see Jordan slumped alone in the back seat."

O'Donnell then mourned the boy who, as he put it, his parents were "eagerly watching become a man."

Before You Go

Faces of NBC News
Ann Curry(01 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 24: Ann Curry attends the TIME 100 Gala celebrating TIME'S 100 Most Influential People In The World at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 24, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Fernando Leon/Getty Images for TIME) (credit:Getty)
Savannah Guthrie(02 of28)
Open Image Modal
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 28: Savannah Guthrie attends the 98th Annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 28, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Al Roker(03 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 23: Al Roker attends the 2012 Matrix Awards Luncheon at Waldorf Astoria Hotel on April 23, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Matt Lauer(04 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 12: 'TODAY' Show correspondent Matt Lauer attends the 'TODAY' Show 60th anniversary celebration at The Edison Ballroom on January 12, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Brian Williams(05 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 07: Television Journalist Brian Williams speaks at the Robin Hood Veterans Summit at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum on May 7, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for The Robin Hood Foundation) (credit:Getty)
Meredith Vieira (with Ann Curry)(06 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 23: (L-R) Ann Curry and Meredith Vieira attend the 2012 Matrix Awards Luncheon at Waldorf Astoria Hotel on April 23, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Lester Holt(07 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 09: NBC Weekend Nightly News anchor Lester Holt speaks onstage at the 49th USO Armed Forces Gala & Gold Medal Dinner to Honor Military Heroes and Volunteers at 583 Park Avenue on December 9, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for USO of Metropolitan New York) (credit:Getty)
Natalie Morales(08 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 12: (L-R) 'TODAY' Show correspondent Natalie Morales attends the 'TODAY' Show 60th anniversary celebration at The Edison Ballroom on January 12, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Hoda Kotb(09 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 30: TV personality Hoda Kotb attends The Breast Cancer Research Foundation's 'Hot Pink Party' at The Waldorf=Astoria on April 30, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Kathie Lee Gifford(10 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 01: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Kathy Lee Gifford and Frank Gifford attend the New York Giants Super Bowl Pep Rally Luncheon at Michael's on February 1, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for New York Giants) (credit:Getty)
Tamron Hall(11 of28)
Open Image Modal
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 30: MSNBC News Anchor Tamron Hall attends the MSNBC Correspondents' after party with FIJI Water at Embassy of Italy on April 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for The New Yorker) (credit:Getty)
David Gregory(12 of28)
Open Image Modal
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 07: NBC's Meet the Press Host David Gregory attends NBC News Education Nation Job One Panel Discussion at Georgia Aquarium on May 7, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Moses Robinson/Getty Images for NBCUniversal) (credit:Getty)
Tom Brokaw(13 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 07: Television Journalist Tom Brokaw speaks at the Robin Hood Veterans Summit at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum on May 7, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for The Robin Hood Foundation) (credit:Getty)
Luke Russert(14 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 12: News correspondent Luke Russert attends the 'TODAY' Show 60th anniversary celebration at The Edison Ballroom on January 12, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Andrea Mitchell(15 of28)
Open Image Modal
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 30: Andrea Mitchell attends the MSNBC Correspondents' after party with FIJI Water at Embassy of Italy on April 30, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for The New Yorker) (credit:Getty)
Richard Engel(16 of28)
Open Image Modal
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 4: (AFP OUT) In this television screen grab taken and provided by NBC, NBC News' Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel speaks via satellite from to Sderot, Israel to host David Gregory during a live taping of 'Meet the Press' at the NBC studios on January 4, 2009 in Washington, DC. Engel discussed the current Israel Gaza Conflict which is now in its ninth day. (Photo by NBC/Meet the Press via Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Peter Alexander(17 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 05: Journalist Peter Alexander attends 'A Funny Affair for Autism' at The Plaza Hotel on December 5, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Ben Hider/Getty Images for Autism Speaks) (credit:Getty)
Chuck Todd(18 of28)
Open Image Modal
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 09: Chuck Todd, NBC News Chief White House Correspondent and Political Director Contributing Editor to Meet the Press, attends 'A Night At The Park' to benefit the ziMS Foundation hosted by Ryan Zimmerman at Nationals Park on August 9, 2010 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for ziMS Foundation) (credit:Getty)
Kate Snow(19 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 09: Kate Snow attends 2011 Stand Up for Heroes at the Beacon Theatre on November 9, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Donna Ward/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Harry Smith(20 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK - MARCH 02: Co-anchor for the CBS News morning show Harry Smith on-set at the 45th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards Nominations at CBS Early Show Studio Plaza on March 2, 2010 in New York, New York. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for ACM) (credit:Getty)
Martin Bashir(21 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 10: Correspondent Martin Bashir attends the 'Veep' screening at the Time Warner Screening Room on April 10, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Bob Costas(22 of28)
Open Image Modal
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 02: NBC Sportscaster Bob Costas looks on during the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park on January 2, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Jenna Wolfe(23 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK - AUGUST 17: Media correspondent Jenna Wolfe attends the New York premiere of 'Nanny McPhee Returns' at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 on August 17, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Willard Scott(24 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 12: Former 'TODAY' Show correspondent Willard Scott attends the 'TODAY' Show 60th anniversary celebration at The Edison Ballroom on January 12, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Mark Hoffman, Duncan Niederauer, Carl Quintanilla, Melissa Lee, Maria Bartiromo(25 of28)
Open Image Modal
(credit:AP)
Bob Dotson(26 of28)
Open Image Modal
(credit:NBC News)
Star Jones(27 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 28: TV personality Star Jones attends the American Heart Association's 2012 New York City Go Red for Women luncheon at the Hilton New York on February 28, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Donny Deutsch(28 of28)
Open Image Modal
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 09: Television personality Donny Deutsch attends Love Heals, The Alison Gertz Foundation For AIDS Education 20th Anniversary gala at the Four Seasons Restaurant on November 9, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) (credit:Getty)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip