Mychal Bell, a teen convicted in the widely publicized  and media hyped ‘Jena Six’ beating of Justin Barker, sustained a self inflicted gunshot wound to the chest a few days after being arrested on Christmas Eve.

Monroe Police Sgt. Cassandra Wooten reports that the 18 year old turned a .22-caliber handgun on himself at 7:40 p.m. on Monday in Monroe, Louisiana.  She speculated that he was upset over the media coverage that his recent arrest had caused.  “He didn’t want to be in the news again.”   She went on to say that Mychal’s injuries are not life threatening.

On December 24, the teen was caught hiding under a vehicle by a security guard and an off-duty police officer after he fled a department store with several shirts and a pair of jeans.  He was charged with shoplifting, resisting arrest and simple assault and was released on $1,300 bond.

The Jena 6 case involved  a group of black teens who were initially charged with attempted second-degree murder in the 2006 beating of one of their white classmates at Jena High School.  Bell eventually pleaded guilty to a juvenile charge of second-degree battery.  He is currently living with a foster family in Monroe.

Justin Barker, the white teen beaten in 2006 and released the same day from the emergency room, has filed a lawsuit against the teens, their parents, the school district and others allegedly involved.

Many viewed the original charges as excessive and racially discriminatory.  Photo of a seemingly victorious Rev. Al Sharpton with Bell in 2007 below.

Check out an interesting video put together by the Jena community detailing The Jena Six Story below.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za4B4KhIVTE[/youtube]

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Filed under: Across the Nation