Florida: Man killed gay teen because of fear of being outed – police – Insider
A Florida teenager fatally shot another teenager he had been speaking to online because he feared being out as gay, according to Daytona Beach Police.
Jakari Webb, 19, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the death of Telan Mann, also 19, police said, per NBC News.
The Daytona Beach Police Department said an investigation began after officers found Mann with multiple gun wounds and “in a pool of blood” on a sidewalk in the early hours of the morning on June 23. Mann passed away on the scene.
According to Fox News affiliate WOFL, officers were able to identify the suspect after reviewing more than 100 hours of surveillance footage. Authorities tracked the suspect down to his home, a couple of miles from where the shooting happened, per WOFL.
According to police, Webb and Mann had been chatting on social media since February. They had planned to meet for the first time on June 23, police said.
Mann was openly gay, according to police, per the ClickOrlando.com.
Their first meeting turned out to be when Webb was accused of shooting Mann, police added.
“There was some concern that Telan either had or was going to post something on social media kind of outing the suspect,” said Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young at a news conference, on Wednesday, NBC News reported.
Webb believed Mann had been spreading rumors about him being gay, police said on Facebook.
Webb is being held without bond at a county jail. He faces three charges, including first-degree murder, resisting an officer, and a probation violation.
The State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s 7th District is currently “evaluating” whether to add on an additional hate crime charge, said the office’s executive director Bryan Shorstein on Friday, per NBC News. “Anything is possible at this point,” Shorstein said.