In July 2008,
Newsweek reported that a day or two before the shooting, King walked onto the basketball court in the middle of a game and asked McInerney to be his
Valentine in front of the team members who then made fun of McInerney.
[1] Just after lunchtime on February 11, King passed McInerney in a corridor and called out, "Love you, baby." Later that day King was seen "parading" back and forth in high-heeled boots and makeup in front of McInerney. According to a teacher, a group of boys were laughing at McInerney who was getting visibly upset and assistant principal Joy Epstein, noticing McInerney's reaction, wagged her finger at him.
[7] When McInerney endured teasing because of the incident, he attempted to recruit other students to assault King but no one expressed interest. He then told one of King's friends to say goodbye to him "because she would never see him [King] again".
[5]
On the morning of February 12, 2008, McInerney was witnessed repeatedly looking at King during a class in a
computer laboratory. At approximately 8:15 a.m. local time, McInerney drew from his backpack a
.22-caliber revolver belonging to relatives and shot King twice in the back of the head.
[5][8][9] Following the shooting, McInerney tossed the handgun on the floor and walked from the classroom. He was apprehended by police five blocks away from the school campus about seven minutes later.
[1][6]
King was transported to
St. John's Regional Medical Center where he was listed in serious condition. He was declared
brain dead on February 13 but kept on life support for two days so that his
organs could be donated.