In February 2008, an eighth-grader in Oxnard, Calif., used his grandfather’s revolver to kill a classmate, execution-style, in the middle of a computer class. The victim, a gay teen named Lawrence King, had recently begun experimenting with cross-dressing and talked openly of having a crush on the shooter. This devastating documentary lays bare the roots of the tragedy, chronicling both boys’ abusive childhoods and exposing the casual bigotry that King confronted daily. Says one juror who sympathized with the shooter, “He was solving a problem.” Monday, Oct. 7, at 9 p.m., HBO
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.