The 22-year-old white male accused of stabbing Bowie State University student Richard Collins III in May will only face one count of murder with no hate crime charges.
Sean Urbanski — who was a member of a white supremacist Facebook group — allegedly attacked Collins with a knife at a University of Maryland bus stop only three days before Collins was set to graduate from Bowie State. The killing was captured on a security camera, and investigators determined it was an unprovoked attack. In a recent press conference, Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said there wasn't enough evidence to add the hate crime charge.
Unfortunately, these headlines are no longer surprising to the black community as police brutality, the killings of black people by white hands and inexplicable acquittals continue to make the news each week. Although disappointing, we're not surprised but continue to speak out about injustices in our communities.
The investigation into the incident is still ongoing, and Alsobrooks added that officials are in the process of seizing Urbanski's digital equipment. If more information is discovered during the investigation, Urbanski can still face hate crime charges in the future.
Before his death, Collins served in ROTC and had just been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Bowie State honored the 23-year-old by draping his gown over an empty seat in the front row in remembrance.
In Lt. Richard Collins III's memory, a gown rests on a seat at the #Bowie State University graduation. #NBC4DC
pic.twitter.com/efcxyxw79u— Tracee Wilkins (@TraceeWilkins) May 23, 2017
We can only stay tuned and hope that we get justice for another life lost.