On November 2, 2017, 14-year-old Giovanni Melton, a Coronado High School freshman, was shot and killed in Henderson, Nevada. Wendell later called 911 and said the gun accidentally discharged after Giovanni pushed him to the ground; Giovanni was taken to St. Rose Dominican Hospital and did not survive.

Wendell Melton was arrested and charged with open murder, child abuse, and unlawful possession of a firearm because of a prior domestic battery conviction. Family members, including Giovanni’s mother Veronica Melton and his former foster mother Sonja Jones, said Wendell had a history of abuse and alleged he acted out of hatred for Giovanni’s sexual orientation, but Henderson police said their investigation did not indicate the shooting was motivated by Giovanni’s sexual orientation and hate-crime enhancements were not added. At trial prosecutors argued a grown man did not need a gun to confront his teenage son; the defense said the gun was for self-defense.

A Clark County jury found Wendell Melton guilty of first-degree murder and child abuse in May 2022 and he received a prison sentence. Anyone who knew Giovanni, his routines, or the family and can add information is asked to come forward.