A 14-year-old boy, John Sheeran, has been released with GPS monitoring after being charged with the attempted murder of a 15-year-old Black boy in an incident that took place at Goose Neck Pond, Chatham. The incident allegedly saw Sheeran and another individual assaulting the boy, who was wearing a life jacket as he couldn’t swim, with racially aggravated verbal abuse and physical violence, attempting to drown him. This brutal act was fortunately interrupted by another child who intervened. Notably, Sheeran, who is being tried as a youthful offender, can face sentencing as an adult if found guilty.
Later that day, Sheeran was involved in another incident where he physically assaulted an Asian peer. Sheeran’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, stated that Sheeran is remorseful and claimed the act went too far but wasn’t an attempted murder. The hearing, attended by numerous community members including the local NAACP chapter, is drawing significant attention.
