A teen who allegedly tried to kill a Black teenager at a Massachusetts pond is facing felony charges after an indictment by a Barnstable County grand jury.
John Sheeran, 14, was indicted last week on charges assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder. District Attorney Robert Galibois’s office told the Boston Globe that Sheeran will be charged as a “youthful offender,” meaning he will face the same legal proceedings as an adult.
The incident happened in July, at the Goose Pond in Chatham, when Sheeran and another boy, both white, allegedly called the victim racial slurs and attempted to drown him. The victim told police he went to the pond after a friend invited him, but Sheeran and another boy began throwing rocks at him when he asked them not to touch his brother’s bicycle.
News 22 reports that witnesses told police that Sheeran attempted to drown the victim, by pulling him under water by his life jacket multiple times. The other suspect allegedly called the victim “George Floyd” after the victim yelled that he couldn’t breathe.
Sheeran stopped for around 15 minutes and left the water, according to the police report. The two suspects then returned to the water on a raft, and while Sheeran swam underwater and pulled the victim under by his ankles, the other teen stayed on the raft and laughed, police said.
Sheeran only stopped after a bystander intervened after hearing the victim’s screams for help.
Meanwhile, the suspect’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, told the court that the incident was a case of horseplay that spiraled out of control, adding that Sheeran’s parents had recently divorced.
“They were in the water horseplaying and it got out of control, clearly,” Reddington said. “I understand the basis of the judge’s decision, and we are appealing to the Superior Court and hoping to get him back in school.”
Sheeran remains behind bars without bail. He’s expected back in court on September 13. Check back for updates.
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