A Las Vegas father shot and killed his 14-year-old son Thursday for being gay, family members of the victim told the media last week.
Wendell Melton killed his son Giovanni after they argued over the son’s sexual orientation, according to NBC3 Las Vegas. The teen’s sexual orientation bothered his father, according to Sonja Jones, Giovanni’s former foster mother.
“He hated the fact that his son was gay,” Jones said. “I’m sure that inside of his mind, he would rather have a dead son than a gay son.”
Police said that Melton, a 53-year-old former pilot, pulled the trigger of one of the six guns he kept in the house during the argument.
Jones says that Melton had threatened his son before: “Giovanni was abused physically and mentally and spiritually for many, many years.”
The Melton family has been plagued with a dark history, LasVegasNow reports. Court documents show there was a long custody battle for Giovanni and his sibling. There was also an allegation of Melton beating his son, and threatening his family with his guns.
“I hope they throw the book at him. I hope he never sees the light of day,” said Jones. “I hope every day when he looks in the mirror, he sees his son’s face.”