Iowa Jury Finds Killer's Fear Justified

An Iowa teenager, Preston Walls, has been found guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the shooting deaths of two students at a Des Moines alternative school. The jury's decision suggests they accepted Walls' claim that he fired on the students out of fear for his life. Walls was also convicted of willful injury causing serious injury for shooting a former Chicago gang member and rapper who started the program. If convicted of first-degree murder, Walls would have faced a mandatory life sentence, but his convictions of lesser charges mean he will be eligible for parole. Defense attorneys argued that Walls believed his own life was in danger when he killed the two students.