A teenager invoked his Muslim faith as the reason he killed a 13-year-old boy and also stabbed a woman and her son,
Police say Corey Johnson, 17, of Jupiter, was sleeping over at the home of Elaine Simon when the knife attack happened early Monday.Jovanni, 13, an overnight guest during the sleepover, died after his throat was cut and he was stabbed repeatedly, police said. It was his birthday.
Johnson said he felt Dane made fun of his Muslim faith and practices and that Jovanni was idealizing famous people and referred to them as gods, which went against his beliefs, police said.
Investigators said Johnson admitted to reading the Quran on his phone just prior to the stabbing attack to give him courage to “carry out his intentions.”
Investigators said Simon woke up to a commotion and went upstairs about 5:45 a.m. Monday. That’s when Johnson confronted her at the top of the stairs, and Johnson stabbed her about 12 times, police said.
Dane ran to protect his mom, and Johnson stabbed him more than 30 times, police said. Dane and his mother ran to a neighbor’s house, where they called 911.
“She rang my bell,” someone who called 911 said. “She’s bleeding. Corey Johnson is out there with a knife.”
Simon and her son, Dane, remain hospitalized.
Shannon, on behalf of Palm Beach Gardens police, expressed his condolences to Jovanni’s family. “This is a tragic incident and their family is going through a very difficult time now and our hearts go out to them,” Shannon said
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