A black man has been charged with shooting two white strangers in the back of the head in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This is part of what authorities are calling racist hate crimes.
Carlton Guilford shot and killed two unrelated men on April 18, according to Tulsa police.
Police said Gifford, who was homeless according to prison records, entered the Rudisil Library around 9:40 a.m., approached the man sitting at his desk, and shot him in the back of the head.
The victim, 35-year-old Lundin Hascock, was taken to hospital but died.
Carlton Guilford has been charged with murdering two men in racist hate crimes. (Tulsa Police Department)
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After the library shooting, Gifford went to a nearby Quick Trip convenience store and shot 55-year-old James McDaniel in the back of the head, police said. As the victim fell to the ground, the suspect shot him again. McDaniel died at the scene.
Surveillance video showed Guildford also shot a security guard and another person outside Quick Trip, police said. Guilford was standing outside the store when police arrived, and he admitted to shooting the two. according to department.
Guildford was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of shooting with intent to murder, and one count of malicious intimidation or harassment.
The latter charge is the Oklahoma version of a hate crime. Under Oklahoma law, there are no specific hate crime laws, but malicious threats and harassment include targeting someone based on their race.
Police respond to the June 1, 2022 shooting at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (J. Pat Carter/Getty Images)
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According to Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, evidence suggests that Guildford, who is black, shot both men because he was white. Prosecutors did not elaborate.
According to local CBS affiliate KOTV, Kunzweiler said, “Information suggests that the race played its part.” “I think that’s something we can prove. It’s clear that judges and juries need to be heard, so we present that information along with everything else.”
Guildford is scheduled to appear in court on June 23, according to prison records. He is currently being held without bail — according to public safety prosecutors.
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“Anytime you talk about the dynamic in which public safety is at stake, in my opinion, when someone is killing someone or harming someone they don’t know, it really amplifies things. increase.
