Sophie+Thompson+4B

**Summary:** Barry Loukaitis was only 14 years old when he comitted a homicide in his hometown of Moses Lake, Washington. He arrived at Frontier Middle School on February 2, 1996 dressed in a gunslinger outfit. He was armed with two handguns and a .30-30 hunting rifle, carrying approximately 78 rounds of ammunition. After arrival in his algebra classroom, he shot his teacher Leona Caires, and proceeded to shoot three of his classmates. Two classmates and his teacher were murdered, while one student was hospitalized and survived.


 * Defendant's Argument:** Loukaitis did not come from a steady household, and his home conditions lead to mental unstability. At school, he was often bullied by several fellow classmates (one of which, Manuel Vela, he shot). Loukaitis also blamed the media for some of his actions. Prosecutors argued that Loukaitis carefully planned the school shooting, with motivation from the Pearl Jam song "Jeremy" (below). They also said that Loukaitis had contracted ideas from the Stepehn King novel "Rage" and some violent films(these arguments were somewhat on the defendent's side). All charges against Loukaitis were met with pleads of insanity and "mood swings".


 * Prosecutor's Argument:** Prosecutors appointed a psychiatrist to examine Loukaitis' mental health. It was determaned that he was delusional and messianic before the shooting occurred.

[|Music Video for "Jeremy"]