SarahG
11-17-2008, 09:29 PM
I was sent this via email earlier today. This was someone who was trans (TS)- being transgender was the main motivation for the crime- NOT orientation, and this was not a "gay guy being killed for being gay."
Syracuse man was killed for being gay, police say
Sunday November 16, 2008, 12:31 PM
SYRACUSE, NY - Dwight R. DeLee shot and killed Moses "Teish" Cannon with a .22-caliber rifle Friday night because he didn't like that Cannon was openly gay, Syracuse police said.
Cannon, 22, and his brother, Mark Cannon, 18, both of 404 Arthur St., were shot as they sat in a car parked in front of 411 Seymour St., where they had been invited to a party. The bullet grazed the left arm of Mark Cannon, who was in the driver's seat, and hit Moses Cannon in the chest, police said.
Police have charged DeLee, 20, of 420 Gifford St., with second-degree murder. DeLee went into the home at 411 Seymour St. to get the rifle after guests at the party started "making profane and vulgar comments in regards to the sexual preference of our two victims," police Chief Gary Miguel said.
"There was no previous argument between these individuals, there was no previous fight, there was no bad blood," Miguel said. "Our suspect took a rifle and shot and killed this person, also wounding his brother, for the sole reason he didn't care for the sexual preference of our victim. Isn't that sad? Isn't that a sad situation that that's the sole reason why?
"I talk to you about this atmosphere of violence and that certain individuals believe that violence is the answer no matter what, and here's just another example," Miguel said.
Cannon's family said his death should be treated as a hate crime. Miguel said it's up to the District Attorney's office to decide if it's a hate crime.
Police started searching for DeLee after interviewing witnesses. He was located at 2 a.m. Sunday at a residence in Liverpool, police said.
Miguel said there's no indication the Cannons were lured to the party so they could be assaulted. "The person who called (to invite them to the party) is a friend," Miguel said.
I find it interesting that there is even doubt about whether or not this was a hate crime. That much is obvious, but even more disturbing than that is that DeLee was only charged with second-degree murder.
Based on the media reports so far it is pretty clear that DeLee;
1- Discharged a firearm in City limits
2- Assaulted the brother who had a bullet pass through his arm
3- 1st Degree Murder for the death of Teish
4- #3 was a hate crime.
This was premeditated, DeLee went out of his way to retrieve the rifle, went out of his way to walk up to the car- and intentionally shot Cannon in the chest. Yet as far as the police and DA's office is concerned, this somehow only meets the criteria of 2nd degree murder, and probably only because the victim was to them a "2nd class citizen."
I highly doubt the Syracuse story will involve a hate crime charge knowing what I know of that city and it's prosecution system. To an outsider it wouldn't be something to expect from the city famed for the Jerry Rescue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Rescue), but times change and so has that city's progressiveness.
What the media reports haven't brought up was that DeLee didn't live in the home where the rifle was retrieved from, which makes me wonder if he was being aided in his effort to assassinate someone for such a blatantly stupid and bigoted reason.
This posting has been edited by myself to fix pronoun usage, first name usage given new information. It's bad enough the media are using "he" and "man," that doesn't mean I have to in talking about the same case.
I have edited this post a second time to delete any off topic commentary about the broader topic of targeted killings.
Syracuse man was killed for being gay, police say
Sunday November 16, 2008, 12:31 PM
SYRACUSE, NY - Dwight R. DeLee shot and killed Moses "Teish" Cannon with a .22-caliber rifle Friday night because he didn't like that Cannon was openly gay, Syracuse police said.
Cannon, 22, and his brother, Mark Cannon, 18, both of 404 Arthur St., were shot as they sat in a car parked in front of 411 Seymour St., where they had been invited to a party. The bullet grazed the left arm of Mark Cannon, who was in the driver's seat, and hit Moses Cannon in the chest, police said.
Police have charged DeLee, 20, of 420 Gifford St., with second-degree murder. DeLee went into the home at 411 Seymour St. to get the rifle after guests at the party started "making profane and vulgar comments in regards to the sexual preference of our two victims," police Chief Gary Miguel said.
"There was no previous argument between these individuals, there was no previous fight, there was no bad blood," Miguel said. "Our suspect took a rifle and shot and killed this person, also wounding his brother, for the sole reason he didn't care for the sexual preference of our victim. Isn't that sad? Isn't that a sad situation that that's the sole reason why?
"I talk to you about this atmosphere of violence and that certain individuals believe that violence is the answer no matter what, and here's just another example," Miguel said.
Cannon's family said his death should be treated as a hate crime. Miguel said it's up to the District Attorney's office to decide if it's a hate crime.
Police started searching for DeLee after interviewing witnesses. He was located at 2 a.m. Sunday at a residence in Liverpool, police said.
Miguel said there's no indication the Cannons were lured to the party so they could be assaulted. "The person who called (to invite them to the party) is a friend," Miguel said.
I find it interesting that there is even doubt about whether or not this was a hate crime. That much is obvious, but even more disturbing than that is that DeLee was only charged with second-degree murder.
Based on the media reports so far it is pretty clear that DeLee;
1- Discharged a firearm in City limits
2- Assaulted the brother who had a bullet pass through his arm
3- 1st Degree Murder for the death of Teish
4- #3 was a hate crime.
This was premeditated, DeLee went out of his way to retrieve the rifle, went out of his way to walk up to the car- and intentionally shot Cannon in the chest. Yet as far as the police and DA's office is concerned, this somehow only meets the criteria of 2nd degree murder, and probably only because the victim was to them a "2nd class citizen."
I highly doubt the Syracuse story will involve a hate crime charge knowing what I know of that city and it's prosecution system. To an outsider it wouldn't be something to expect from the city famed for the Jerry Rescue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Rescue), but times change and so has that city's progressiveness.
What the media reports haven't brought up was that DeLee didn't live in the home where the rifle was retrieved from, which makes me wonder if he was being aided in his effort to assassinate someone for such a blatantly stupid and bigoted reason.
This posting has been edited by myself to fix pronoun usage, first name usage given new information. It's bad enough the media are using "he" and "man," that doesn't mean I have to in talking about the same case.
I have edited this post a second time to delete any off topic commentary about the broader topic of targeted killings.