Hate Crime: Man Attacks Gay Bar Patrons

UPDATE February 6, 2006
The teenage suspect, Jacob D. Robida, died Sunday after a shootout with Arkansas police officers.  Robida shot and killed one Arkansas police officer during a traffic stop in Saturday.  He also killed a 33-year-old woman—possibly a friend he picked up at her home after the attacks in the Massachusetts bar—during the shootout.  Officials are currently trying to gather more information about Robida’s final days.   

Article

Police are seeking a young man in connection with firearm and hatchet attacks that wounded at least three people in a gay bar in New Bedford, Massachusetts. 

On Thursday, police announced that an 18-year-old suspect, Jacob Robida, was violent, armed, dangerous, and at-large in the community.  He is wanted on charges of three counts of attempted murder and hate crimes, reported officials. 

According to the police report, two men were shot in the torso and another man was deeply cut on his head. 

The bartender recounts the attempted murder suspect’s entrance that night, “He asked if it was a gay bar,” he explained, “At that time I was a little nervous as to why he was asking.  I don’t know if it was because he felt out of place if he wasn’t gay, or if it’s because he wanted to actually find out if he’s in the right place.”

The bartender described the man as having a “stone-cold look on his face…just emotionless.”  He was dressed in a hooded black sweatshirt with the hood up, and baggy jeans.  The bartender checked the attempted murder suspect’s ID prior to serving him a drink.  He was later able to remember his name and birthday.  The identification indicated that he was 23 years old, with an October 1982 birthday.  His ID appeared to be fake, according to police reports.

After drinking one cocktail and ordering a second, the suspect went to the back of the bar where a game of pool was in progress.  He soon took a hatchet out and started swinging it on top of this customer’s head, according to the bartender, who was trying to call the police and urge other customers out of the bar. 

The attacker then struck another patron with the hatchet, pulled out a firearm and shot the first victim in the face and the second victim in the head two times.  A third shooting victim was hit in the abdomen. 

When the bartender came face-to-face with the attempted murder suspect, he pointed the gun at the bartender’s head and pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. 

In response to the attack, the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus issued this statement: Unfortunately, the gay community is used to hate crimes. 

New Bedford, Massachusetts was also the scene of another high-profile bar attack -- the 1983 gang rape of a woman whose story inspired the 1988 movie "The Accused."

“There couldn’t be any more glaringly obvious and enraging example that we need uniform hate crimes law and that Congress is stubbornly failing to act,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.