Mark Carson, a 32-year-old gay Brooklyn man, was shot and killed in New York’s Greenwich Village last night following a shouting match with the gunman who hurled homophobic insults at his victim, according to the New York Times.
The suspect reportedly ran from the crime scene, but police caught up to him about five blocks away.
The Times reports emergency medical workers attempted to revive Carson at the scene, but he was pronounced dead on arrival when taken to Beth Israel hospital.
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is running to be the city’s first openly gay mayor, released a statement that read:
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“I am horrified to learn that last night, a gay man was murdered in my district after being chased out of a Greenwich Village restaurant and assailed by homophobic slurs. I stand with all New Yorkers in condemning this attack.”
NY state senator Brad Hoylman also released a statement condemning the attack:
“I am outraged by the recent wave of anti-LGBT violence in our city and it is shocking and extremely distressing that a man was shot to death just this morning apparently because he was gay. Nobody anywhere should have to live with fear of harm because of his or her sexual orientation. I applaud the NYPD for making a swift arrest in this case and call on all New Yorkers to unite against hate and gun violence.”
The murder last night marks the fifth known attack against gay men in New York this month. A rally to protest the violence was held May 16, as members of the city’s LGBT community gathered outside Madison Square Garden and marched through Chelsea toward Jackson Park.
Photo: Christopher Sadowski/NY Post
QJ201
freaked out by how often I walk by this intersection.
truthteller
I am a New Yorker. I lived in this area for most of my life. I attended NYU just 3 blocks away. I was there today, as usual going about my life. This happened, once again, in my backyard. This is my home town, and I don’t feel very safe anymore.
This is another violent wake up call gentlemen. Please do not hit the snooze button.
It is well past time that we demand our non profit agencies to stop just taking our monies and begin helping us get the tools to avoid/de-escalate/defend and report these attacks. Males are the overwhelming majority of victims of gay bias attacks, and like this latest death shows, men of colour are 87% of those killed.
We don’t need, and I don’t want anymore Mathew Shepards. These agencies and LGBT centers have been reaching out to every community to provide these strategies except one. But it is we that are dying. If we don’t act, nothing will change. There will always be those that hate us, so if we can’t change them, we need to change us. We need to take these crimes seriously, and be prepared. My home town is not very safe and I am afraid it will get wores before IT GET’S BETTER.
Billysees
Gay issues have been on the front burner for some time now.
This brings the “I can’t cope with this” types of people out of their closet to do whatever harm they can.
Just beware of this.
J W G
I have always disagreed with my gay brothers and sisters on the issue of homophobic violence. I agree that there should be laws implemented towards the prevention, apprehension and conviction of violent homophobes. But what happened here…on Christopher St.?…how can anyone law enforcement prevent something as random as this? We in the LGBT community also need to take some initiative to defend persons. Even though there is no defense against a bullet there are ways to deflect other confrontations. Law enforcement cannot be there all the time. I urge all LGBT citizens to learn something about self defense. And I know this is not a good time to mention this (due to the recent gun violence) but in certain parts of the country it might behoove some to aquire firearms themselves. Many years ago in San Francisco I was walking with a guy I was dating. He was a rough and tumble kind of guy. It was night, we were confronted by some young homophobes clearly intent on bashing us. They were armed with bats and told us they were going to f**k us up, using the fag word. My friend pulled a .38 out of his jacket pocket and those guys were gone so fast it made my head spin. No I am not a gun nut! But sometimes pushing back violence with a show of force deters. Unfortunately sometimes that is all irrational minds understand. WSe need to protect ourserlves, our spouses our familys.
LaTeesha
Gays should be armed. Shoot first, ask questions later. And, most importantly, never trust a straight person. There are two kinds of straight people. Ones who talk bad about you to your face and ones who talk bad about you behind your back.
mike1988
I live in a right to carry state. It is very clear that illegal guns are readily available in New York to anyone who wants them. Legal guns should be available to law abiding citizens to protect themselves as well. I am always surprised by how much opposition there is in the gay community to gun rights. I seriously believe that homophobes think twice before bashing gays in my city because they know that there is a good chance that they will have the capability to defend themselves. “Armed Gays don’t get bashed.”–Pink Pistols
Ben Dover
Yeah, that’s just what we need: a lot of drunken, high gay guys wandering around while carrying guns. Imagine being a bar employee in that environment. Dancing would present a logistical problem, as the guns would tend to fall out. Also, especially in summer, it would make your outfit bulge – in the wrong place! (“Is that a gun in your pocket or are you happy to see me?” Oh, it’s a gun.) And of course you’ll need to carry the gun at all times, unless you NEVER leave home so your gun could never get burglarized.
Sounds like bar-hopping in New York and SF ten years from now will be a lot of fun. But what will we do with our guns at the beach? – hide them under our towels in the sand?
I guess next, we’ll have a comment from someone who essentially blames the victim for not being armed.
Charles175
The revolt for our gaining equality has just begun. As these and those like them chant over and over again, “Onward Christian Soldiers”. I agree with this man: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so-o-o-o unlike your Christ.
Mahatma Gandhi”.
J W G
@mike1988: Glad to see you guys are still around.
2eo
Oh goody, we need more gun nutters. If everyone had guns there wouldn’t be a demand for guns etcetera and there wouldn’t be any crime against anyone ever. FACTS typed in capital letters prove this beyond doubt.
Deepdow
Horrific. The mayor needs to address this.
the other Greg
REPEAL THE SECOND AMENDMENT – or at least, rewrite it to remove that stupid comma splice problem, so that even the moron teabaggers and gun nuts can see the “well-regulated militia” part!
Interesting how so far, the usual gang of confrontation buffs here on Queerty are notably silent. You know, the ones who always tell us here that we MUST CONFRONT every homophobe on the street, and get in their face, or else we’re wimps.
Looks like this poor guy (and his friends) actually did that, at least a little, and the homophobe pulled out a gun and killed him. So suddenly, the solution is we all need to carry guns all the time? You gotta be kidding.
@truthteller: Right, “truthteller,” we remember your disgusting comments about Dzokhar Tsarnaev – “he’s just a kid, he idolized his older brother,” boo hoo hoo. Maybe this killer is 19 and “just a kid” and has an older brother who egged him on to kill f@gs? Or is the problem merely the choice of weapon, that he didn’t take a bomb into a gay bar? Either way, by your “logic” it would be okay! Well you pretend to be a “lawyer” so maybe you can figure out how hypocritical you’re being.
Jeton Ademaj
@LaTeesha:
1)”Gays should be armed.”
legally so.
2)”Shoot first, ask questions later.”
only under extremely limited circumstances, otherwise this advice is madness.
3) “And, most importantly, never trust a straight person. There are two kinds of straight people. Ones who talk bad about you to your face and ones who talk bad about you behind your back.”
madness indeed. if i recall the DSM’s take, you have schizotypal paranoia.
Jeton Ademaj
someday we will lose the accursed NY laws that disenfranchise our right to realistic self-defense.
oh, and so far there’s no evidence Mark Carson did ANYTHING to excite this murderer. when it comes to bigots, they do NOT need to hear from you before they decide to kill you. FAIL.
Jeton Ademaj
@Ben Dover: owning a gun comes with responsibility that is not for everyone. if you regularly drink or drug-up than you have no business holding a pistol…tho you still certainly have the right to defend yourself. however, it’s better to be drunk, facing weapons charges and ALIVE than to be sober, turned into a holy cow, and DEAD.
Billysees
@J W G: 4
” But sometimes pushing back violence with a show of force deters.”
That’s a good statement, with plenty of evidence to back it up.
But……as far as LGBT’s are concerned, what would be the best way to “push back” without resorting to the very dangerous gun-toting scenario ?
Our government — local, state, and federal have an obligation to protect its citizens.
It’s best to “help them” in any we can to insure their work is successful.
I do understand that is not exactly a comforting message at this time.
But I’m confident that is the best thing we can do for now.
Also…let us as individuals be as vigilant as we can.
This persecution stuff will not last.
I recall the following and it has an application here — “overcome evil with good” — but I must admit that how to do that is up for interpretation.
LaTeesha
@Jeton Ademaj: Just because you’re too much of a coward to defend yourself doesn’t mean the rest of us are. I carry a gun and I’m not afraid to use it. Heteros are not to be trusted, ever.
J W G
@Billysees: I’m reading some of these comments and although I understand my gay brothers & sisters anger I fear that some of this ‘shoot em up’ reactionary stuff is a bit over the edge. I live in a blue, gay friendly state but it’s a rural as well. Almost everyone has a firearm mostly used for hunting. Having a rifle or side arm comes with a great responsibility. What happened in The Village the other night was sporadic as random violence usually is. I don’t care how armed you are, unless you’re Nevada Smith and quick on the draw, wild west style, you would probably not have time to fire first if someone drew & fired on you after a couple of word exchanges. I don’t really know the facts. Although I support the second amendment and exercise my right to bare arms, I have to also realize that unbridled anger & guns don’t mix, neither does alcohol and drug use. I have nothing against the LGBT community arming themselves but lets realize that violence can beget violence and (believe me I know this first hand) things can get out of hand real fast when someone pulls out a gun. There are so many way that we in the LGBT community (besides firearms) can do to push back against violence. A firearm should be a last resort and if you pull it out you better know how to use it!
stanhope
I have never been one much given to political correctness as I find it a form of deception. It often dilutes the truth. How on Earth do homophobes come into our neighborhoods and feel they can kill or beat up people? I sure hope the neighborhoods where this violence has occurred will create citizen groups who will monitor the streets to keep them safe. I hope these guardians will be armed with stun guns and mace. Personally I think a baseball bat or gun finds justice faster than politically correct words. Do NOT take this lying down or depend on the politicians/police to take care of this. We must take care of our own.
2eo
@LaTeesha: I sincerely hope people like you are killed, you don’t deserve to live in a free world, you are everything wrong with society.
Please die.
J W G
@2eo: Who are you wishing death on? Us? Lighten up!
tdx3fan
@J W G: New York City does not allow you to conceal carry. They have very strict rules against that sort of thing. See how well it worked out here!?! And, most of you are against gun rights!!
tdx3fan
@Ben Dover: I love how certain idiots can not handle responsible gun ownership, so they must be the rule not the exception!
tdx3fan
@the other Greg: Yet by your logic… A murder happens in a city that already has comprehensive gun control laws, so lets add more comprehensive gun control laws that can be ignored just as easily by the criminal element. You will never stop criminals from carrying guns no matter how hard you try. Good argument though! *FACEPALM!*
2eo
It’s pretty obvious that judging by the quality and intelligence of those that are pro-gun is exactly as minimal as the hicks who murder with guns that they are beyond reason and rational thought.
Though with TDX, LaTeesh etcetera we knew their low quality excludes them from rational, intelligent thought anyway. It’s a shame good people need to get shot, please shoot yourselves, the world will be better without you violent unreasonable bigoted nutcases poisoning it, and our community.
J W G
@tdx3fan: I have made it very clear that I support second amendment rights but lets face it…murder 2 is just that. I’m hearing all this irrational and irresponsible banter from some of the commentators. When someone says ” I carry a gun and I’m not afraid to use it. Heteros are not to be trusted, ever.” That clearly tells me that this individual does NOT know how to use a gun and perhaps they should not. Maybe a little anger therapy? This same person is wishing anyone who disagrees with them dead! This guy should be armed with a gun? The world is not a Quentin Torrentino movie. Armed violence is usually quick, deadly, ugly, and causes dire consequences to both parties, their families, lovers & friends. That said; if you’re going to pull out a sidearm you had better know that the F**k your doing, have a good justifiable reason, and be prepared to face the consequence. This may piss some of you off but this is the real world.
tdx3fan
@2eo: Judging others because you lack the ability to see anything other than your VERY narrow point of view is kind of the very element of stupidity, is it not?
So, how exactly has surrounding yourself only with those that agree with you so that you never once have to have any thought that you do not have your “friends” agree with 100% work out for you?
@J W G: I totally and utterly agree with you. If you are going to try defending yourself with a fire arm then you better know exactly how to use it and have a pretty good aim. You also better not be afraid to pull the trigger and accept the consequences. However, I would rather accept the consequences for killing someone than to be dead. Jail is not a very fun place, but it is still better than death. As far as the friends and family of the homophobe meant to do me harm, or the homophobe him/herself… I have very little concern for those that have no concern for me.
the other Greg
@tdx3fan: The illegal guns in NYC & other northeast cities generally come from Virginia, usually bought at “gun shows” that don’t require background checks.
The NRA defeats any sensible national regulation like background checks, hypocritically since they are on record as supporting background checks as recently as 1999. Nowadays the NRA just wants to sell more guns.
The Second Amendment is the only amendment that has the word “REGULATED” right in it! Right in the opening phrase that most people are apparently too dumb to see: “A well-regulated militia….” (WTF, it’s like that “Purloined Letter” in Edgar Allen Poe!) And yet, somehow the Second Amendment is misinterpreted by morons to mean “no regulation whatsoever.”
Even if someone in NYC gets a gun permit (no easy matter, I realize), if they are a “person of color” as the victim Mark Carson was, or even a freaky-looking white boy, or certainly a transgender person, they will be stopped by police on a regular basis under the unconstitutional “stop & frisk” policy and probably shot by the cops anyway just for having a gun, however legal.
What is a militia? Something like Pink Panthers, gay neighborhood watch group in NY in the ’90s. Probably like the group Mike1988 (#6) refers to.
But I’m all for hunting. There are way too many deer out there, they cause thousands of car crashes and they carry Lyme Disease ticks. And venison is quite tasty, especially on the grill!
mike1988
@the other Greg: Never never never assume that a person who supports gun rights is automatically a supporter of the NRA. I support gun rights, but I also think that guns need to be closely regulated. I am NOT a supporter of the NRA. (BTW, I am a liberal who supports broad civil rights for citizens, including gun rights.)
J W G
@tdx3fan: Thank you for your response but as I see it; Yes, if some homophobe (why does spell check not recognize that word??)…if some homophobe is out to kill me, because he..or she..obviously I am not a human, I have no face, I am THEM and they are US and vis versa. The first thing that hate does is it takes away their subjects identity, their face, their humanity. I have repeatably stated in other blogs that I have never met a homophobe yet that was not gay themselves. A heterosexual who is comfortable with their sexuality has has no problem with us. I don’t want to kill anyone really, unless it’s wild game for food. I will if pressed. Also, think of mistaken identity. One time I was being harassed in a park by some teenagers for being gay. I was very angry, I picked up a large club-like stick and came after them, they ran, I pursued, another gay man was walking his dog and saw me coming with his large club. He thought I was the assailant and almost turned his doberman on me! At the time my head was shaved (before it was fashion. He cornered me with that dog. I had a hell of a time convincing him that I was not the aggressor, that I was chasing down these kids. Like I said. You’re going to carry a firearm than one better be circumspect. I would prefer to shoot to maim, that way the creep will have to testify in court why he got shot in the first place. I can’t hate. It’s like taking poison and expecting someone else to die. Owning a gun gives one the power of life & death, that’s a big order!. Your comments are welcomed
the other Greg
@mike1988: Glad to hear that! I’m not calling for unilateral disarming by the good guys either. And the group (militia?) you describe seems to me a sensible way to go.
tdx3fan
@the other Greg: Please quote your source, and if your source is a left wing blog or some other nut case then please spare us all. Not to mention, who says that the person in this story actually illegally purchased the gun at all. He could have legally purchased it, but he was illegally carrying it.
The NRA does not speak for all gun owners, and most gun owners want background checks. What most gun owners also wanted was a national concealed carry law. Funny how the Democrats were unwilling to compromise that and that is the number one thing that led to defeat of background checks, but you can now rewrite history. Not to mention, this was such a problem that a great deal of left leaning radio and television personalities actually sided with the Republicans on this one.
Lets look at the ACTUAL text of the second amendment: “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Now, trying to make the argument that it says that guns should be regulated is insane. It clearly says two things (much like every other amendment in the constitution). It says (1) a well regulated militia… and (2) the RIGHT of the people to keep and bear arms SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED! Funny how you do not point out that failure to allow for concealed carry is infringing on the right of people to bear arms since you like to play word games so much.
Then perhaps, just perhaps, your outcry should be about the bigoted stupid police that do not care to protect anyone that they feel “inferior” to them instead of that person’s right to protect themselves!?!
tdx3fan
@J W G: There is a big difference between your story and what happened in this case (as reported from other blogs). In this case, heated words were exchanged for quite sometime and the assailant repeatedly (allegedly) asked the victim if he wanted to die that day. It was pretty cut and dry, but it is not always. Such is the nature of life.
the other Greg
@tdx3fan: “He could have legally purchased it” etc. Yeah, you really “help” your case there. A homophobic lunatic, deliberately out to kill a gay guy, may have actually passed a background check someplace and bought his gun legally? How reassuring!
Source for… what? You don’t specify. If you’re referring to where the guns tend to come from, the point is that they come from somewhere outside NYC, obviously, where it’s easier to get them. (Virginia is the closest easy place.) Like trucking cartons of low-tax North Carolina cigarettes to NYC, it’s illegal but hard to intercept.
It’s great that you acknowledge there’s a word “militia” in the text of the 2nd Amendment, but what does it mean to you? Anything? Got a dictionary?
the other Greg
@tdx3fan: Also, this is the first I’ve heard that the gun fanatics were supposedly holding the background checks hostage unless they got a “national concealed carry law.” Even if that’s true it’s crazy. But I followed the recent debate pretty closely (no, not just on MSNBC / Boston Globe / NY Times, but also the conservative Boston Herald and Fox News, when I could stomach them!), and I don’t recall that angle.
Mitchell
Something has got to be done about this crap this world is so savage and cruel it has to STOP! My heart so goes out to this mans family and his loved ones and to him more then anyone else another senseless cruel vicious malicious hate crime perpetuated against an innocent human being simply trying to coexist with everyone else. Im surprised anyone has faith in anything anymore in this world I lost mine in humanity a long time ago.
Billysees
@J W G: 18
A very realistic and sensible comment you made at No 18.
“…this ‘shoot em up’ reactionary stuff is a bit over the edge.”
“…unbridled anger & guns don’t mix, neither does alcohol and drug use.”
“…but lets realize that violence can beget violence and….things can get out of hand real fast when someone pulls out a gun.”
“There are so many ways that we in the LGBT community….can do to push back against violence.”
Billysees
@J W G: 26
Another “worthy of very serious consideration” comment by JWG —
“Armed violence is usually quick, deadly, ugly, and causes dire consequences to both parties, their families, lovers & friends.”
Billysees
@the other Greg: No. 28
“And venison is quite tasty, especially on the grill! ”
How do ya’ like that for a change in subject matter…….lol……..lol…..
And it’s true too, it is tasty.
Billysees
@Mitchell: No. 36
“Im surprised anyone has faith in anything anymore in this world I lost mine in humanity a long time ago.”
I wouldn’t loose faith in God’s children (humanity).
But I would simply be aware of something from the Book.
Though it is not true all of the time, it does have its time and place.
It goes like this —
“Satan is the god of this world”
Mitchell
@Billysees: With all due respect I am atheist so for me just solely from my perspective its about a lack of conscience and humanity these people sadly are born into this world and are molded into what they later become…monsters.
Pix
@mike1988:
Me, too. The NRA can only claim about 5% of US gun owners as members (still the largest gun rights organization in the US but that’s still 95% of gun owners who tell the NRA “No thanks”). Many gun owners can’t stand them (particularly the bureaucracy) for a variety of reasons (lies, extreme fear mongering, unethical fund raising, jingoism, hypocrisy & double standards, and just general obnoxiousness) and I find myself cringing a lot when they issue another public statement.
I personally support the 2AF instead (and, of course, the Pink Pistols), and while I’d like to see every state become a “shall issue” for CCW, I also support much more extensive background checks and other reasonable safeguards to keep guns out of the wrong hands (though going after “gun violence” beyond that is going after a symptom rather than the actual disease, which is the love of violence that infects this country at all levels of society and both sides of the law, and I can usually tell when it’s mostly Americans posting online from the casual death threats over a petty disagreement to like the “NY Pizza” place I patronize that brags of NY by posting pix of mobsters). And I’m generally liberal in politics otherwise.
Billysees
@Mitchell: 41
That you’re an atheist doesn’t change your ability to see what’s going on in the world today.
But it sounded to me that you were going down the road that many religious people do by exclaiming that “the creation is hopelessly lost” and so on.
You said, “…its about a lack of conscience and humanity these people…are born…and molded…[and] become …monsters” which is another way of saying the same thing.
But wait a minute.
They are only an infinitesimally small fraction of all of the good folks in this world.
Our focus and concentration and encouragement should always be towards these good people.
BayAreaHomo
You’ve got two choices.
You can be one of the “oh no, guns are for nuts” people. A good little victim who is executed by the homophobes, pleading for your life, with no help in sight.
Or you can get armed, learn how to use that firearm, protect yourself, and stay alive.
The pro-criminal contingent has a right to choose to commit suicide by being walking, defenseless targets of criminals. They don’t have a right to force that choice on the rest of us.