TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida teen accused of trying to kill a transgender woman has been found guilty of attempted murder.
Tavares Spencer, 16, was tried as an adult on charges that included attempted first-degree felony murder, attempted second-degree murder and robbery. His trial began Monday and he was found guilty on Thursday.
Tampa police said Spencer met up with Terrience McDonald in April and that he believed she was biologically female.
Spencer attacker McDonald after learning she was transgender. McDonald denies she ever hid her birth gender.
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Soon after the April 9 shooting, Spencer bragged in text messages about the incident, using graphic and derogatory language to describe McDonald.
Police say that led to Spencer being charged with a bias-motivated hate crime.
Sgt. Michael Stout of the Tampa police said at the time of the arrest that detectives were taken by Spencer’s lack of remorse in the incident.