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Okla. Shooting: Teens Killed Jogger 'for Fun'

By Brett Snider, Esq. on August 21, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Three Oklahoma teens are under arrest in connection with the shooting death of an Australian college student. Police say they decided to kill him "for the fun of it."

The victim, 22-year-old Christopher Lane, was jogging in Duncan, Oklahoma, on Friday afternoon when the three boys followed him in a car. Allegedly out of boredom, they decided Lane would be their "target" and fatally shot him in the back, reports Reuters.

Charges were filed against the three suspects on Tuesday, but only two of the teens are charged with murder.

'Bored' Teens Shoot Student

Police Chief Danny Ford told The Duncan Banner that the oldest suspect confessed that the teens -- ages 15, 16, and 17 -- were "bored" and just wanted to see someone die, or to kill someone.

That "someone" turned out to be Lane, who was attending East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, on a baseball scholarship. Lane was visiting his girlfriend's hometown of Duncan when he was killed.

The 15- and 16-year-old suspects were charged with first degree murder and held without bond, reports The Associated Press.

The 17-year-old, however, was charged with accessory after the fact and driving while a firearm was discharged, suggesting that prosecutors don't believe the boy to be the one who pulled the trigger.

Death Penalty Isn't Possible

A conviction for a crime like first degree murder typically calls for either life imprisonment or the death penalty where allowed. Oklahoma does allow the death penalty.

However, because the boys charged with Lane's murder are under 18, it is unconstitutional for them to receive the death penalty.

Lane's killing has shaken many in his native Australia. One politician called it a reason to "think twice" about visiting America, blaming the National Rifle Association's policies for sowing the seeds of this tragedy, reports the AP.

It should be noted that children under 18 are not permitted to possess firearms in Oklahoma, unless it is under adult supervision or for hunting purposes. Reports have not yet indicated how the boys got their hands on a gun.

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