Man charged with killing 2 gay men and transgender woman

Detroit — A man charged with fatally shooting three people and wounding two others at a Detroit home had targeted them because they were gay or transgender, prosecutors said Friday. Devon Robinson, 18, of Detroit, was arraigned on three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of assault and weapons charges in the May 25 shooting.

He pleaded not guilty, and a magistrate remanded him to jail. Records don’t list a lawyer for him.

“We must remain ever vigilant in our fight to eradicate hate,” prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement.

The shooting occurred at around 5 a.m. during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, according to authorities. Two people were injured and three others were killed: 21-year-old Alunte Davis, 20-year-old Paris Cameron and 20-year-old Timothy Blanche. 

Davis and Blancher were gay men and Cameron was a transgender woman.

“The allegation is that the homicide victims were targeted and killed because they were part of the LGBTQ community,” prosecutor’s spokeswoman Maria Miller told the Detroit Free Press. 

The Fair Michigan Justice Project, which assists authorities investigating serious crimes against LGBTQ people, worked with prosecutors on the case. Fair Michigan President Alanna Maguire said, “This case illustrates the mortal danger faced by members of Detroit’s LGBTQ community.”