'He'd rather have a dead son than a gay son': Father accused of fatally shooting his 14-year-old child

A father in Henderson, Nevada, has been accused by police of fatally shooting his own 14-year-old son -- and the late boy's former foster mother claims that it happened over a fight about the teenager's sexual orientation.

Local news station News Las Vegas 3 reports Henderson police are alleging that 53-year-old Wendell Melton shot and killed 14-year-old son Giovanni Melton late last week.

Sonja Jones, Giovanni's former foster mom, tells News 3 Las Vegas that the teen was the victim of abuse for years. What's more, she said that Giovanni's father had made threats against the boy before over his sexual orientation.

"He hated the fact that his son was gay," she told the station. "I'm sure that inside of his mind, he would rather have a dead son than a gay son."

Although police had yet to officially state a motive for the shooting, Jones believes that Wendell Melton grew enraged when he found his son spending time with his boyfriend in an apartment building.

"I hope they throw the book at him. I hope he never sees the light of day," Jones said of Giovanni's father. "I hope every day when he looks in the mirror, he sees his son's face."

Watch News Las Vegas 3's report on the incident below.