A Manhattan jury acquitted an Oyster Bay event planner who fatally stabbed a 17-year-old high school football player outside an ax throwing club during a drunken brawl involving college students.

Gianluca Bordone, 21, claimed he acted in self-defense when he thrust his pocket knife six inches into the chest of Rocco Rodden, of Warren Township, New Jersey, on the night before Thanksgiving 2023.

Bordone was cleared of manslaughter and two counts of assault , which could have landed him in prison for up to 25 years.

"The truth has been told," said Bordone's mother, who only gave her first name, Gerrianne. "We're going to continue to pray to God for everybody to be safe. This was a tragic night, a tragic event. The truth is the truth."

Surveillance and cellphone footage showed the mele

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