A Detroit man is facing first-degree murder charges, assault with intent to murder and use of a firearm in connection with a felony in the triple killings of LGBTQ community members on May 25.
"The alleged actions of this defendant are disturbing on so many levels, but the fact that this happened during Pride Month adds salt into the wound," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement Thursday, via The Detroit News. "We must remain ever vigilant in our fight to eradicate hate in Wayne County and beyond."
Devon Robinson shot and killed Alunte Davis, 21, Paris Cameron, 20, and Timothy Blancher, 20 inside a home on the eastern side of the city. Per the news site, Davis and Blancher identified as gay and Cameron was a transgender woman. Police officials also noted two other individuals were shot and wounded, but they expected to survive.
The 19-year-old was arrested Wednesday and will be formally arraigned Friday morning, per ABC 7 Detroit.
Fair Michigan President Alanna Maguire issued a release of her own and said this particular investigation highlights the dangers LGBTQ individuals in Detroit face constantly.
"This case illustrates the mortal danger faced by members of Detroit's LGBTQ community, including transgender women of color," ABC 7 Detroit reports Maguire said. "The LGBTQ community knows that the Fair Michigan Justice Project, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office and the Detroit Police Department stand ready to aggressively prosecute these brutal crimes."
Cameron's death marks the 8th transgender person killed in the United States in 2019. According to The Advocate, all the victims so far have been Black transgender women. A 2018 report by the Human Rights Campaign revealed that transgender women of color make up four out of five anti-transgender murders.