“Police are investigating the possibility that a 30-year-old gay man fatally shot outside his home earlier this week was the victim of a hate crime. Delray Beach police said Mark Harriss was shot more than 12 times in the driveway of his home … after returning home from KFC. … Police said they don’t believe Harriss was the victim of a robbery because nothing was taken. Sgt. Russ Magor said Harriss was ‘assassinated’ and that it’s possible he was targeted because of his sexual preference. ‘He did have an alternative lifestyle and it is something that we would look at, but there’s no way to indicate at this juncture whether or not it is or isn’t,’ Magor said.” [WPBF]
tavdy79
“Alternative”? WTF bullcrap is that, like he had a choice about whether or not he was gay? Someone needs to pick Sgt. Magor up on that.
kevin (not that one)
@tavdy79: Stupid hick….”alternative lifestyle” my gay ass.
Bruno
I’m not surprised about the “alternative lifestyle” comment…Florida only pretends not to be part of the deep south.
kevin (not that one)
I use to live in a majority African American neighborhood off-center of downtown Tampa. A few blocks from my home was the local “World Church of the Creator” white supremacist church. Waiting for the bus in this neighborhood, klansmen would drive by with Confederate flags waving from their trucks…this is around 1992.
Skip ahead a few years later (1999) and I’m back in Tampa visiting my friend who still lives there. We drive past a Korean Baptist Church in the Seminole Heights area. Spray painted in big white letters on the side of the church is the phrase “Koreans are Fags”.
It doesn’t even register with my friend how shocking and both homophobic and racist this is. To her, it’s just so common. When I lived in Tampa, one of my acts of service to the community I voluntarily took upon myself was to go around painting over the numerous swastikas spraypainted on empty buildings.
That’s Florida to me.
Anonymous
after returning home from KFC
Another fast-food related death.
TANK
^unevitable^ At least post a name so that you can get ridiculed properly.
TANK
@TANK:
OMG…I need to get ridiculed properly for that spelling. This site’s negatively impacting my grammar and spelling.
Dabq
This breaks my heart, murder, beatings, when will all this hate stop??? And, the churls who troll here and mock the death of this man are no better than the vile murderers.
Michael W.
He could’ve been killed for any number of reasons. The hate crime angle is just one of many that the authorities are currently chasing.
dellisonly
He looks like “Joe The Plumber”. A very sick part of me almost got excited.
Chip
This is probably a penetrating glimpse into the obvious, but I’ll say it anyway: it’s finally occurring to me that these men who kill gay men are trying to kill something in themselves.
CondeNasty
@Kevin
I agree. I grew up all over Florida from the 70s-90s and it is back water racist and homophobic. A total shit-hole…
Tom
I personally knew Mark as a friend and this is heartbreaking news. He moved to Florida from Texas to work and better himself, and he did. A fun, very caring individual. Mark will be missed sorely. It has been over a year or so since recieving a “Merry Christmas” text from Mark. My prayers go to Mark’s family and friends. Mark, if you can hear me, thank you for protecting me one evening from a maniac patron at Geogies Alibi in Wilton Manors. It’s hard for me to forget when someone has helped me when I was in need. Rest in peace friend, God Bless
Tom
@dellisonly: You are a sick piece of non-inity, if you even know what that means! A sick part of me wishes it was you instead of Mark. Keep your sick, twisted thoughts to yourself.
mb00
I know right? Alternative to WHAT?
@CondeNasty: Is Florida really like that, I mean, like Miami and all those big cities? I’ve never been there, so I’m just curious. I have a friend that lived in Ft. Lauderdale and hated so much for those same reasons. I’m just wondering if Miami Beach is like that as well. It seems like such a fun place to visit.
Tom
@mb00: Yes, CondeNasty, Florida is the jumping off place for loosers! Ft. Lauderdale used to be “Where the boys are”. It’s a crime riddled city full of hustlers and the old trolls that pay for them. The police are corrupt, just read the local news. Miami is even worse. A fun place to visit, if you don’t get robbed or murdered in the process…
dfrw
I am very sad that this happened.
I left Fort Lauderdale in October and I don’t miss it at all. Unfortunately, Florida is filled with backward, racist, overly-religious, and homophobic people.
Mir
Mark was my brother’s fiance. My brother and the rest of our family are grieving for his loss. I’ve met him for only for two days and I’ve loved him ever since. There was nothing but goodness in him. He will be lovingly missed by our family.
@dellisonly: you nasty POS!!! I’m with Tom wishing that it was you instead of Mark who was killed that night. How insensitive of you to write that. I hope that you get the same karma when you lose somebody whom you dearly love and search on-line about his/her death only to find comments similar to what you wrote for our deceased family member.
Tom
@Mir: My heart goes out to you, your brother, and all of Mark’s family and friends. There will be ignorent people that make ignorant comments, but just remember, Mark was a very good spirit and and possessed a good soul. The people that make such absurd remarks usually are those whom never had or experienced love or any type of meaningful relationship. They also usually hate themselves, and for good reason. God Bless…