Officials Seek Witnesses To Gay Pride Festival Attack
Men Attacked While Leaving Festival
POSTED: 11:58 am PDT July 30, 2006

Calling the attack on five gay men outside the San Diego LGBT Pride festival this weekend cowardly, city officials Monday urged the public to come forward with information to help track down the suspects.

"I have a few choice words for the criminals who committed this vicious attack, and for any others who are contemplating perpetrating such a crime -- you are cowards," Mayor Jerry Sanders said.

Five men were assaulted Saturday night with baseball bats and a "stabbing implement believed to be a knife" after leaving the festival in Balboa Park, said San Diego Police Department Chief William Lansdowne.

The injuries were described as non-fatal, but one man remained hospitalized with a fractured skull on the right side of his face, Lansdowne said.

The suspects were described as three white men, 18-23, who were wearing dark clothing at the time of the attack, he said.

Lansdowne said police believe the incident was a "planned attack" and he assigned five investigators to work the case.

"We are absolutely convinced that we will be able to solve this crime in a short amount of time," he said. "We are working diligently on this case."

Police are investigating the assault as a hate crime because anti-gay remarks accompanied the attacks, Sanders said.

"The attackers taunted the victims with anti-gay insults as they were beating them," he said. "This is the very definition of a hate crime."

Councilwoman Toni Atkins said her office had received 2-3 phone calls prior to the festival from Hillcrest residents concerned about hate crimes.

"All violent crime is serious, but when it is motivated by hate for a particular group, like the lesbian and gay community, we need to be even more vigilant about finding the perpetrators and bringing them to justice," Atkins said. "Solving these crimes is a priority."

She said it was "very regretful" that the acts of a few people "marred" what was otherwise a successful two-day event.

jesus

I love Balboa Park, btw...absolutely gorgeous there.

Craziness everywhere. There, here... There is a serial killer in our area... two they say. A 20 year old girl was just targeted (killed) last night a few miles down the street where I live, but the attacks/murders are randomly everywhere. They are calling him a cold-blooded coward.

&*%#@*&%@

Freespirit said:

good lord

Freespirit said:

i saw that story on the news. u be careful young lady

.
[Edited 8/1/06 0:37am]

Freespirit said:

this is with a rifle, right? People must be getting very paranoid. Go on vacation!

such disgusting cowards! I wish them the worst of the worst

Scum

Fucking trash... the very definition of evil and cowardice... hope they suffer for what they did.

oh that makes me so mad

I.I.F.M.

3 suspects have been charged.

Idiots.

This is going to go on even more unfortunately. The government gives the okay for this type of behavior.

M

Freespirit said:

A SERIAL killer???

Gosh, when I think of all the mental sickness in this world...where are we going as a society? The human condition only seems to be worsening rather than evolving I do fear...

ufoclub said:

For real. You might want to consider an overseas trip ...

Whoo! It's been so long since I've heard of these kind of crimes since I moved overseas. When something like this does happen here though, it just feels so isolated and sensational...it's just not the same like when I lived in say, Florida, and EVERY DAY there was a gruesome murder, rape, or violent robbery.

As a woman you can't even walk to the store after dark unless you're living in an upscale, guarded area...and even then there's still no guarantee you can make it back home alive, let alone safe and unharmed

That's just layers of wrong.