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Boy, 14, Charged With Murder Of Openly Gay High School Senior

Terrance Wright (Family Photo)

CHICAGO, IL -- Chicago Police spokesperson Laura Kubiak told local media outlets this week that arrests have been made in the robbery-murder investigation of openly gay 18-year-old Terrance Wright, who was killed in the Far South Side's Jeffery Manor neighborhood October 19.

According to Kubiak, a 14 year old and a sixteen year old have been arrested and are being held in Wright's death. Police investigators say that a group of five suspects approached Wright last Friday afternoon and attempted to rummage through the victim's backpack and pockets. A struggle ensued at which point police say Wright was shot in the chest by the 14-year-old boy. Wright was later transported to Chicago's Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he died as a result of his injuries.

Cook County state's attorney's office spokesman Andy Conklin said that the 14 year old appeared in Juvenile Court Tuesday charged as a juvenile with murder.

While authorities are calling it a robbery-homicide but Wright's family claims his death wasn't about money or valuables. Javone Wright, Terrance’s younger brother, says what makes the pain even worse for the family is why they believe the high school senior was killed.

“I believe they only did that to him because he was gay,” the 16-year-old said in an interview with a local television station's news crew.

Wright’s uncle, Tywan Bouldin, says the robbery theory is wrong because Wright had nothing of value on him when he was killed.

“What they going to rob him of–his books?” asked Bouldin.

He says Terrance was bullied both inside and outside school. He says his nephew was shot because he was gay. He wants the crime investigated as a hate crime.

“They had to kill my cousin because he was gay. That’s crazy,” said Kenyatta Rogers. 

And they say when the bullet stopped Terrance’s heart, it also took away the heart of the family. 

“My heart is broken,” said his grandmother Essie James, who had raised Terrance for half his life. “He’s gone. Part of me is gone,” said Rogers as she wiped back tears. ~ CBS2 Chicago

Wright, who was a senior at Banner Academy South High School, had transferred to Banner Academy last year after his family says he was relentlessly picked on at his previous school.