A white Massachusetts teen has pled guilty to trying to drown a young black man while his accomplice cheered him on by calling the youth "George Floyd."
John P. Sheeran, 15, will face sentencing on Feb. 5 after pleading guilty to attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, the Cape Cod Times reported.
Sheeran was charged as a "youthful offender," meaning he can be sentenced as a juvenile or an adult.
The incident began at Goose Pond in Chatham on July 19, 2023. The victim, who was not identified, met Sheeran and another white juvenile at the pond. The teen was called a "N-----" and the Sheeran and the other white juvenile picked up a rock and began threatening him, according to a press release from the district attorney.
The black victim donned a life jacket, and the three of them entered the water together. The teen victim told Sheeran and the other individual that he could not swim. Sheeran then began pulling on the life jacket and pushed the teen underwater four to five times, according to the press release.
During the attempted drowning, the other juvenile defendant began laughing and referring to the victim as "George Floyd." Prosecutors say the attack continued with Sheeran swimming under the youth and attempting to pull him down by his feet.
The incident ended, prosecutors say, when a bystander entered the water and intervened after hearing the victim call out for help.
