Nevada man allegedly kills teen son because he was gay
"He would rather have a dead son than a gay son"
A Nevada man has allegedly killed his 14-year-old son because the youth was gay.
Police in Henderson, NV, report that Giovanni Melton was shot dead by his father, 53-year-old Wendell Melton, on November 2 in an apartment where the teen reportedly lived alone.
Giovanni’s former foster mother, Sonja Jones, said that the argument that ended in him being shot was over his sexuality, KSNV reports.
“[Wendell Melton] hated the fact that his son was gay,” Jones said. “I’m sure that inside of his mind, he would rather have a dead son than a gay son.”
She added: “Giovanni was abused physically and mentally and spiritually for many, many years.”
Las Vegas Now reports that Giovanni Melton and his sibling were abandoned by their mother and subject to an ongoing custody battle.
Court records show that Wendell Melton had a history of illegally owning firearms and using them to threaten his family.
Jones alleged that Wendell Melton had previously drawn a gun on his son, after catching Giovanni with his boyfriend.
“I hope they throw the book at him. I hope he never sees the light of day,” Jones said. “I hope every day when he looks in the mirror, he sees his son’s face.”
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