Michael Paul Adams, had reportedly been released from prison for 48 hours when he saw 17-year-old Elijah Al-Amin at a Peoria, Ariz., K-gas station. The 27-year-old, who has a lengthy criminal history, slit the teen’s neck with a pocket knife. His excuse–he was listening to rap music, and he feared for his life.
Court records indicate Adams told local law enforcement he felt threatened by the music, not Al-Almin, and explained he thinks people who listen to or play rap music are a threat to him and the community. Adams said he was being “proactive, not reactive” because rap music makes him feel “unsafe.”
Al-Amin’s death is eerily reminiscent to Jordan Davis’ November 2012 murder at the hands of Michael Dunn. On November, 23, Davis was riding around with his friends in Florida listening to rap music before they stopped at a local gas station. When Dunn left the station, he alleged to have felt threatened by the teens and their music and shot off several rounds into the vehicle, killing Davis. Dunn was later charged, convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole, including an additional 90 years.
Adams is currently in custody, being held on a $1 Million Bond.
