A white Massachusetts teen has pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon one year after he was accused of trying to drown a Black boy.
John P. Sheeran, now 15, is accused of pushing another boy underwater multiple times while using racial slurs, laughing, and calling him "George Floyd" when the victim repeatedly said he could not breathe. The assault ended when a bystander intervened, bringing the victim -- who could not swim -- back to shore.
Sheeran was charged as a "youthful offender," allowing the court to sentence him as a juvenile or an adult, Cape Code Times reported. His sentencing is scheduled for February 5.
A second boy, also white, is accused of harassing the victim during the incident and is being charged as a juvenile. His name has not been released.
The victim told police his friends invited him to the pond, where they allegedly threw rocks at him. The victim put on a lifejacket to enter the pond, asking the other boys not to push or splash him in the water because he couldn't swim.
Once he entered the water, the boys followed him on a raft and began attempting to pull him under his water and remove his life jacket as they laughed and taunted him, according to the prosecution.
Additionally, the prosecution said Sheeran was in a fight just hours later the same day. Sheeran allegedly punched a teenager of Asian descent and called him slurs, but the individual declined to press charges.
Kevin Reddington, Sheeran's attorney, described the attempted murder charge as "over the top."
"They were in the water horseplaying and it got out of control, clearly," Reddington told The Boston Globe.
Sheeran initially pleaded not guilty, but entered into a plea agreement that would prevent the case going to trial and includes a proposed joint recommendation for a three-year suspended sentence, along with community service, therapy, an educational program, a letter of apology to the victim, and no-contact conditions.
Juvenile Court Judge Sylvia Gomes emphasized that she is not bound by the recommendation and may impose a harsher sentence. If the judge rejects the plea agreement, Sheeran can withdraw his plea and proceed to trial in March.
