Giovanni Melton, a 14-year-old boy, was killed by his father late last week in Henderson, Nevada, NBC News reports.

Melton's former foster mother, Sonja Jones, claims the killing was carried out due to Melton's homosexuality. According to Jones, the boy was "abused physically and mentally and spiritually for many, many years" and was eventually killed because his father couldn't accept that he was gay. 

Melton's father, 53-year-old Wendell Melton shot the 14-year-old in an apartment where the boy lived alone according to police. 

"[Wendell] hated the fact that his son was gay," said Jones. "I'm sure that inside of his mind, he would rather have a dead son than a gay son."

Jones also recounted a time when Mr. Melton allegedly caught 14-year-old Melton "with his boyfriend … and pulled out a gun on him."

The Henderson Police Department posted an official statement on their Facebook page, confirming that Mr. Melton had been arrested on felony charges of open murder, child abuse and firearms possession.

Of course, this tragic incident speaks to a larger issue facing our society.

"We have a crisis of masculinity in this country — it's obvious across the board in this report and in the unrelenting reports on sexual assault and also gun violence," said Jaime Grant, executive director of LGBTQ family and ally organization, PFLAG National.

"Many 'normative' messages men learn as they are growing up about stuffing their feelings, policing other men's gender and sexuality, asserting 'dominance' from the board room to the bedroom, also show up in their lives as fathers."

Jones definitely wants no mercy when it comes to Mr. Melton. 

"I hope he never sees the light of day," said Jones. "I hope every day when he looks in the mirror, he sees his son's face."

Hate crimeLGBTQ+sexual identityToxic-Masculinity