In what may be an
antigay hate crime, a 20-year-old man was killed
Wednesday night after being struck in the face and
sustaining a blow to the back of his head when he fell
to the pavement, according to GreenvilleOnline.com.
Sean Kennedy was
attacked around 3:45 a.m. outside a bar in Greenville,
S.C. Police have charged 18-year-old Stephen Andrew Moller
with striking Kennedy, and they believe the attack was
motivated by the fact that Kennedy was gay.
Investigators believe Moller commented on Kennedy's
orientation either before or after the attack.
The case has been
turned over to the FBI, who will decide whether or not
to proceed with a hate-crime investigation. Since South
Carolina has no hate-crimes laws, a federal agency
would have to make the charges.
When deputies
arrived on the scene, Kennedy was found bleeding and
unresponsive. He later died at Greenville Memorial Hospital.
(The Advocate)
