MadameNoire
KiddNation
Earlier this week, an Iowa man who shot into a car full of Black teen girls, injuring one of them was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. The incident occurred on December 6, 2020, after the shooter attended a Donald Trump rally in Des Moines.
According to the Associated Press, Authorities said the girls in the car were exchanging insults with rally participants when the teenagers’ car was surrounded by Trump supporters.”
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When the girls backed up to leave, their car had accidentally hit a pickup truck.
That’s when Michael McKinney, an army veteran who “was wearing body armor and carrying several firearms” at the time of the incident, shot into the vehicle and shot a then 15-year-old passenger in the leg.
According to court documents, 26-year-old McKinney told police he’d felt threatened in the situation and felt the need to protect himself.
On Aug. 9, a statement written by the girl who’d been shot by McKinney expressed her feelings around the incident. According to the Des Moines Register, the teenage victim shared with the court:
“I believed I was going to die the day I was shot. I didn’t know if I would be able to walk again.”
“I’m a 16-year-old young lady and would love to love myself, but it’s hard when I look at my scars and remember the events of Dec. 6, 2020.”
The 26-year-old assailant apologized to the girl in court on Monday and said “he used poor judgment that day,” the AP reported.
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McKinney has been in police custody since he was arrested. The shooter will serve time for intimidation with a dangerous weapon and willful injury, both of which were to be served simultaneously.
