A 17 year old was killed after playing rap music from his car in a gas station parking lot, by a man that felt unsafe from him playing that type of music.
The teen was identified as Elijah Alamin. The suspect, 27-year old Michael Adams, admitted to detectives that the teen never said or did anything to threaten him.
ABC Reported:
The 17-year-old Glendale resident, identified by family as Elijah Alamin, was stabbed on the right side of his neck by a suspect who then fled the scene, according to court documents.
Alamin, was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:05 a.m.
Police identified the suspect as 27-year-old Michael Adams.
Adams allegedly later admitted to detectives that he heard Alamin listening to “rap music in the parking lot” through the victim’s window.
“Rap music makes him [Adams] feel unsafe, because in the past he has been attacked… by people who listen to rap music,” Adams continued to tell detectives.
Adams allegedly told detectives the “rap music,” not the victim, made him feel “threatened,” and Adams needed to be “proactive rather than reactive… [and to] protect himself and the community from the victim.”
Adams was arrested near the crime scene after allegedly admitting to police he was involved in the stabbing, with blood on his clothes and body and a pocket knife in his possession.
Jacie Cotterell, the suspect’s lawyer, said it’s unfortunate that the state let Adams out knowing that he is a person diagnosed with mental issues.
“ My client is a very unfortunate young man. He suffers from what are some obvious mental illnesses, he’s been ill served by the state,” Cotterell said.
The Alamin family says the mental health illness excuse from the suspects family in no way justifies the life that has been taken from them.
“The fact that someone is trying to claim that that’s the reason why my brother’s life was taken is just an excuse and it doesn’t help, it doesn’t lend any type of consolement it doesn’t help at all,” Mariah Alamin said. “I feel like the 17 years he spent on this earth he made the most of it and he did more for anybody than most people do in their whole lifetime.”
Alamin’s family said the teen had two jobs, one at Subway and one at Auto Zone. His family says he had big dreams of owning his business one day and he was ‘bigger than life’ and was always giving onto others.
Police say the investigation into the teen’s death is ongoing and additional charges are possible.
Adams will be charged with murder, according to police.
This is such an unfortunate situation. It is unbelievable that this young man was killed just because he was playing rap music. Let us please send prayers up for his family as they go through this difficult time. And now you’re officially in the KNOW!
