The killings of two unrelated people by a homeless man in Oklahoma have sparked outrage among the victims relatives.
Fox News reports that the sister of one of the victims stated that the why isnt as important as the what when it comes to these crimes.
A bad person made a bad choice, and sadly, two lives were lost because of it. Its tragic no matter how you look at it, who did it or why, Jada Hathcock told Fox News Digital.
Carlton Gilford, a homeless man, allegedly shot Jadas brother Lundin Hathcock, 35, in the head while seated at a computer in the Tulsa library on April 18, 2023. He then shot 55-year-old James McDaniel at a nearby QuikTrip convenience store. Hathcock was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved. McDaniel died on the scene of his shooting.
Gilford is Black, and both of his victims were White. He reportedly admitted that he committed the two shootings when speaking with police. He has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of shooting with intent to kill, and one count of malicious intimidation or harassment. This is being treated as a potential hate crime.
According to Oklahoma law, the last charge falls under the types of charges that can be considered hate crimes. There isnt a specific statute in the state for what defines a hate crime, but malicious intimidation or harassment can be charged as a hate crime in Oklahoma.
Jada Hathcock told Fox News Digital that her family wasnt focused on the racial aspects of the crime. Instead, they are focused on mourning their departed loved one.
She said, Remembering that these victims were actual human beings with families who loved them and letting the nation know who they were and telling their story for them is important right now. Not racism! Two innocent people were taken, and its a tragedy.
Sadly, the country has dealt with many mass shootings in the last few weeks. There was a mall massacre in Texas and a hospital shooting in Georgia. Then, there were these sad and horrifying murders in Tulsa as well. It is a continued reminder of how bad the crime situation has gotten in the United States, and there doesnt seem to be a decrease in this coming anytime soon.
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