On February 12th, 2008, 15-year-old Lawrence King was shot and killed at E.O. Green School in Oxnard, California.

A fellow student (aged 14 years old) came into their school's computer lab and shot Lawrence "Larry" twice in the back of his head

A few weeks prior to the shooting, Lawrence had publicly come out at his school for being gay and endured much harassment every where that he went. He had asked the boy who shot him to be his valentine not realizing the dire consequences. The main group of students that harassed him were the shooter and his friends.

Would you kill someone just because you didn't want to be their valentine?

He'll never graduate. He'll never learn how to drive. He'll never get his own job. His family and friends won't ever get to see him again..

..Just because someone couldn't handle his differences.

Please invite as many people as you can so that Lawrence King's story can get out there. This horrible event has gotten almost no coverage in the news. If the media isn't going to cover it, then we will.

FAQ
1) Why isn't there a wall?
- The wall was being abused by many of the members to spew hatred and show disrespect towards the cause and many messaged me asking for it to be disabled so I did. The discussion board is still up for discussion about the topic or for other ones relating to the topic.

2) Why are there advertisements in the discussion board?
- Unfortunately, just like any large group there is the occasional spam here. I keep on top of the spam as much as I can and check it frequently. I apologize for any of the advertisements that are up; I delete all of them as soon as I can but I'm not always around.

3) Did you know Lawrence King?
- No, I didn't know him at all. In fact I live on the opposite side of the country from where he did. I simply heard the tragic story of his murder and was very affected by it being gay and knowing and loving many other gay people so I decided to give this story media coverage.

4) Why did you say that this story didn't get any media coverage even when I saw things on TV about it?
- At the time that I created this group it had close to no media coverage. In fact, I created the group even before Ellen's speech was televised on her talk show. A lot of the internet articles found out about this story from the awareness spread by groups like this one.

5) Why didn't you message me back?
- As much as I wish that I could message all of you who send me notes, Facebook would probably freeze my messaging. When the group first started I messaged back everyone who sent me things, but that application was frozen for a short while and I simply can't risk losing it forever. I apologize for this inconvenience and if you really wish to speak to me or have something to show me then you can email me at aliaskupo@gmail.com

6) Has anything actually happened since his death to justify it?
- Numerous vigils have been held in Lawrence's name. If you wish to create your own vigil then you can register it here:
http://www.rememberinglawrence.org/
Brandon McInerny has also been tried in court as an adult and charged with first degree premeditated murder and a hate crime.

7) Why haven't I heard a lot about Lawrence's parents or his family life?
- At the time of his death Lawrence was living in a group home for children with troubled or incapable parents. He was taken away from his adoptive parents, the Kings', a few years earlier because of claims that Lawrence had made about his father hitting him which there is no actual proof for. His biological mother was a drug-user and his father wasn't in the picture. Lawrence's adoptive father resents how the gay community has made Lawrence a "martyr" for the cause.

8) Was Brandon McInerny (the shooter) troubled?
- Sources have said that Brandon's home life was not at all pleasant. His parents are divorced and have a history of alcoholism and drug abuse. He was an athletic boy who did fairly well in school but he did not have a stable family life at all.

9) What can I do to help?
- You can start and register a vigil in honor of Lawrence King, raise awareness by telling family and friends about the story, spread the news about Lawrence's death online or through flyers, or just support the rights of all LGBTQ people across the globe and fight to win their equal rights and to end violence and hatred.
If you're a student than you can even start or join a GSA at your school. Visit the GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) website here:
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/home/index.html
to get more information and resources for starting and running a GSA at your school.

10) Why won't you accept my friend request?
- As much as I think that each and every one of you in this group is amazing I still need my private life to be kept private. It's nothing personal; it's just me being safe.

You're all amazing. Thank you so much for joining this group and supporting the cause. Keep helping out the cause as much as you can. Thanks again all. (read less)

On February 12th, 2008, 15-year-old Lawrence King was shot and killed at E.O. Green School in Oxnard, California.

A fellow student (aged 14 years old) came into their school's computer lab and shot Lawrence "Larry" twice in the back of his head

A few weeks prior to the shooting, Lawrence had publicly come out at his school for being gay and endured much harassment every where that he went. He had asked the boy who shot him to be his valentine not realizing the dire consequences. The main... (read more)