A reasonable defense for the boy. Wonder how much the school encouraged or looked the other way while the boy was being harassed?
Looking the other way when someone was being bullied used to be common not long ago (before Columbine). Imagine it still happens.
Still not justification for murder, though.
It’s possible the school was unaware. Many boys would not want to tell anyone someone was doing that to them. Of course, the school may well have been aware, and then—I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes. Bullying is taken quite seriously these days.
susie