A Nevada father shot and killed his 14-year-old son because he couldn't accept his son's sexual orientation, according to the son's former foster mom.
On Thursday afternoon, 53-year-old Wendell Melton shot his son, Giovanni Melton, in the apartment where Giovanni lived alone. According to Sonja Jones, Giovanni's former foster mom, Wendell caught Giovanni with his boyfriend before he pulled out a gun.
According to the Henderson Police Department, Giovanni was initially transported to St. Rose Dominican Hospital-Siena Campus in critical condition.
"As a result of their investigation, Henderson Police detectives determined that Melton discharged a firearm that fatally struck his son," the police department said in a statement on Facebook. He was arrested at the scene on felony charges of open murder, child abuse, firearms possession and other various charges, and was booked into the Henderson Detention Center.
"Giovanni was abused physically and mentally and spiritually for many, many years," Jones told News 3 Las Vegas.
Jones said other family members told her the argument that led to Giovanni's death was over Giovanni's sexual orientation. She said Wendell had threatened Giovanni before.
"He 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."
The Henderson Police Department said Wendell was arrested at the scene on felony charges of open murder, child abuse, firearms possession and other various charges. He was "booked into the Henderson Detention Center."
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