Darius Simmons Update: Murdered Milwaukee Teen Gets Justice

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Darius Simmons mother gets justice? Although the nation is still protesting against the not guilty verdict the jury reached in the George Zimmerman Trial, there are many more injustices regarding young, black unarmed males going on in the country. Although Florida seems to be the state with the most issues regarding racism and the unfair use of the Stand Your Ground Law, there are others murders of our young black males just as deserving of media attention. In fact, Darius Simmons’ story is also heartbreaking like Trayvon Martin’s, especially since he was murdered in cold blood in front of his own mother.

The 13-year-old was shot in the chest and killed after his white neighborhood confronted him with his belief that Simmons stole guns out of his home. Although the Milwaukee police found no evidence Darius committed the said crime, John H. Spooner decided to shoot him anyway.

Thankfully enough the murder was captured on Spooner’s very own surveillance camera, however, he tried to plead insanity to escape serving any prison time. Unlike the jury in Trayvon’s trial, justice was actually served for Darius because Spooner was convicted of first degree intentional homicide and will have to serve life in prison because the jury wasn’t buying his insanity claims. CBS News reports:

A 76-year-old Milwaukee man who shot and killed his teen neighbor, Darius Simmons, after accusing the boy of burglary has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.

John H. Spooner was convicted last week of first-degree intentional homicide. He acknowledged shooting the 13-year-old in the chest last year while the teen’s mother watched.

At a sentencing hearing Monday, Judge Jeffrey Wagner denied Spooner the possibility of parole.

Darius’ mother, Patricia Larry, says justice was served when the jury rejected Spooner’s insanity plea. She still has a pending wrongful-death lawsuit against the shooter.