Chicago man guilty of murder for giving teen niece gun
A Chicago man was convicted of first-degree murder Saturday for giving a gun to his 14-year-old niece — which she allegedly used to kill another girl in broad daylight over a Facebook dispute.
The defense for Donnell Flora, 27, argued he was only trying to protect his niece when he went with her to the fatal encounter in April 2014, packing a stolen .38 revolver.
But prosecutors blamed him for the bloodshed that followed.
“He became her provider — the provider of a handgun,” Assistant State's Attorney Barbara Bailey said in court, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“When there were about 1,000 other options that could’ve been taken by an adult, he chose to continue the cycle.”
Endia Martin, 14, was shot and killed in the April 2014 confrontation over Facebook posts.
Flora’s niece, who was charged as a juvenile and has not been named, confronted Endia Martin outside a Southside home where Martin’s best friend had posted threats to the niece on Facebook.
Flora’s attorney Joel Brodsky said the threats were serious enough that Flora believed his niece needed some muscle — and a weapon.
“These were not mere threats,” he said.
“They were, ‘I’m going to kill you. I’m going to put you in the ground next to your dad.’”
Flora’s “only intent was to protect his niece,” Brodsky said.
“It was not the brightest idea he ever had. But it doesn’t change the fact that that was his intent.”
The confrontation ended with the niece opening fire, killing Endia.
Florda admitted in court he gave the gun to his niece, but said he told her to pass it on to her “auntie” so she could hold onto it, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The girl who posted the Facebook threats, Lanekia Reynolds, was armed with chain — something prosecutors pointed out as proof self-defense was not necessary.
A Chicago man was convicted of first-degree murder Saturday for giving a gun to his 14-year-old niece — which she allegedly used to kill another girl in broad daylight over a Facebook dispute.
The defense for Donnell Flora, 27, argued he was only trying to protect his niece when he went with her to the fatal encounter in April 2014, packing a stolen .38 revolver.
But prosecutors blamed him for the bloodshed that followed.
“He became her provider — the provider of a handgun,” Assistant State's Attorney Barbara Bailey said in court, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“When there were about 1,000 other options that could’ve been taken by an adult, he chose to continue the cycle.”
Endia Martin, 14, was shot and killed in the April 2014 confrontation over Facebook posts.
Flora’s niece, who was charged as a juvenile and has not been named, confronted Endia Martin outside a Southside home where Martin’s best friend had posted threats to the niece on Facebook.
Flora’s attorney Joel Brodsky said the threats were serious enough that Flora believed his niece needed some muscle — and a weapon.
“These were not mere threats,” he said.
“They were, ‘I’m going to kill you. I’m going to put you in the ground next to your dad.’”
Flora’s “only intent was to protect his niece,” Brodsky said.
“It was not the brightest idea he ever had. But it doesn’t change the fact that that was his intent.”
The confrontation ended with the niece opening fire, killing Endia.
Florda admitted in court he gave the gun to his niece, but said he told her to pass it on to her “auntie” so she could hold onto it, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The girl who posted the Facebook threats, Lanekia Reynolds, was armed with chain — something prosecutors pointed out as proof self-defense was not necessary.
