I'd go a step further and argue its cruel and unusual to try any child as an adult. Committing a heinous crime does not transform a child into an adult, rather, the crime itself often proves the perpetrator is not yet mentally developed enough to handle adulthood. If we want to establish a new age for adulthood, say 16, then fine, call them adults and try them as adults for their crimes, but also let them smoke, drink, vote, enter contracts, choose whether they go to school or not, serve their country in the military, and everything else that adulthood entails. I'd say, the age of adulthood should be 18 or 19. Let's establish one age for adulthood, and quit making case by case exceptions.

There also needs to be a change in the juvenile justice system. Maybe committing a heinous crime when you are closer to adulthood would include punishment that strips you of your adult rights for up to 10 years, so a 17 year old who commits murder can be held in the juvenile correction system until age 27. (Or beyond?)