Hundreds of mourners said their goodbyes to Jovanni Sierra, 13, on Friday at Palm Beach, Florida, following his untimely death at the hands of a friend because they apparently had a clash over religion.
Sierra's friends, schoolmates and teachers at the Watson P. Duncan Middle School consoled with the boy's family and said prayers for his soul during the funeral service at the Christ Fellowship church. The person responsible for his death, on the other hand remained at the juvenile detention facility.
Corey Johnson, 17, is awaiting a grand jury trial for first-degree murder and two attempted murders. He confessed to slashing Sierra's throat during a sleepover last Sunday.
Sierra and Johnson were guests at another friend's home, the Bancrofts, when the stabbing happened. Sierra was 13-year-old Dane Bancroft's guest, while Johnson was the guest of Bancroft's older brother Kyle.
Police reports say that Johnson became upset because the boys "made fun" of him as a Muslim after telling them that he read the Quran before going to the Bancrofts.
At 4 a.m., while everyone was asleep, Johnson reportedly made a move on Sierra and also targeted Dane and Elaine, Bancroft's mother. Dane suffered 32 stabbings and is still recovering at the hospital. His mother suffered 12 stab wounds.
Sierra's mom Karen rejected claims her son had made fun of Johnson's Muslim faith.
"I don't feel like my son is one to make fun of anybody," she said. "He's always been accepting of everyone. It disgusts me because that's not my son," Karen added, saying, that Johnson was actually invited at her son's advance birthday celebration as well.
Meanwhile, another report revealed that Johnson had been inspired to carry out the violence after watching jihadists' videos that encourages the killing of non-believers.
