Arizona man says he stabbed teenager because he felt 'threatened' by his rap music


A 27-year-old Arizona man told investigators he stabbed a 17-year-old to death inside a convenience store last Thursday because the teen was listening to rap music in his car, which made him feel "unsafe."
Court filings state that Michael Adams told police he heard the music as he approached a Circle K in Peoria, Arizona, and felt uneasy because he's been attacked before by people who listened to rap, specifically "blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans." Adams, who is white, also told investigators he decided to be "proactive rather than reactive" to the "threat" he faced.
Police say the victim, Elijah al-Amin, was buying a soda after getting off of work, and had his back turned when he was stabbed in the neck. Adams, who was released from prison two days before the attack, has been charged with first-degree murder. His attorney, Jacie Cotterell, said in court her client is mentally ill, and when he left prison, he did not have any medicine or a way to receive mental health treatment, The Guardian reports.
Subscribe to 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
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Arizona Department of Corrections responded in a statement, saying Adams was "not designated seriously mentally-ill" and he had been given "contact information for services in the community such as continuing care, housing, welfare, as well as other community resources."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
5 unusually elusive cartoons about the Epstein files
Cartoons Artists take on Pam Bondi's vanishing desk, the Mar-a-Lago bathrooms, and more
-
Lemon and courgette carbonara recipe
The Week Recommends Zingy and fresh, this pasta is a summer treat
-
Corbynism returns: a new party on the Left
Talking Point Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's breakaway progressive party has already got off to a shaky start
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murders
speed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bail
Speed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambush
Speed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrial
Speed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulder
speed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC parade
speed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack