News

Actions

Police: teen confesses murder on Snapchat

Posted at 11:08 AM, Jun 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-07 11:03:00-04

CHICAGO, IL - Whether we ask for it or not, social media gives us a look inside the minds of our virtual friends and followers. And occasionally, people even share horrible truths, like confessing to crimes. Prosecutors in Chicago say a teen charged with shooting and killing his friend admitted to the murder on Snapchat.

Anthony Mendoza, 17, is charged with first degree murder in the death of his friend, 16-year-old Christian Bandemer. Prosecutors say leading up to the shooting, Mendoza was showing off a shotgun to Bandemer along with Mendoza's cousin.

The cousin told police he left the other two teens alone to go smoke, and that's when he heard a gunshot. The cousin came back to find Bandemer shot in the chest and Mendoza gone. Prosecutors say Mendoza threw the shotgun away in front of an abandoned house. After about a minute, according to the cousin's account, Mendoza came back with blood on his shirt, asking his cousin "What happened?" He reportedly also told the cousin not to snitch.

Police arrested Mendoza, and when he was in the back of a squad car, he posted a video to Snapchat saying, "I killed Chris and now I'm going to kill myself." According to Mendoza's attorney, the shooting was an accident and the suspect had no animosity toward his friend. Was Mendoza simply confessing to an accident?

They say social media only reflects the parts of our lives we want others to see. More and more people seem to want the world to know they're sorry.