Former Florida Republican Rep. Allen West took President Barack Obama to task on Twitter Wednesday, suggesting a racial double standard at play in the thrill-kill slaying of a college student by "bored" Oklahoma teens.
"We were bored & decided to kill somebody." 3 black teens shoot white jogger. Who will POTUS identify w/this time? West posted on his Twitter feed on Tuesday, referring to the president's personal remarks about the racially charged death of Trayvon Martin.
The teens were identified as Michael Jones, 17, James Edwards, 15, and Chancey Luna, 16. Edwards and Luna are black. Jones is a white male, the blog
Mediaite reported, citing a police source.
Edwards and Luna have been charged as adults with first-degree murder in the Friday death of Christopher Lane, 23, of Melbourne, Australia.
Jones was charged with use of a vehicle in the discharge of a weapon and accessory to murder after the fact.
The shooting death rattled the high school in Duncan, where police received threats against the high school.
The school, in a town of 24,000 about 80 miles south of Oklahoma City, was told of anonymous threats Tuesday night; the nature of the threats wasn't known.
Duncan public schools on Wednesday required students to stay on campus until a parent or guardian checked them out, but parents were also allowed to keep students at home if they preferred.
"Please know that we are committed to taking all reasonable action to protect the well-being of our students," the superintendent wrote on the website.
Lane was jogging during a visit with his girlfriend and her family in Duncan when he was shot. He attended East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, where he was on a baseball scholarship.
According to police, Jones said the teens decided to kill someone "for the fun of it."
Police said Jones told them Sunday that the teens saw Lane jogging and decided he'd be their target, followed him in their vehicle, and then shot him in the back.
Reuters contributed to this report.