Detroit man charged in deaths of gay men, transgender woman

DETROIT (AP) - A man charged with fatally shooting three people and wounding two others at a Detroit home had targeted them because they were gay or transgender, prosecutors said Friday.

Devon Robinson, 18, of Detroit, was arraigned Friday on three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of assault and weapons charges in the May 25 shooting on the city's east side, the Wayne County prosecutor's office said. He pleaded not guilty, and a magistrate remanded him to jail. Records don't list a lawyer for him.

"We must remain ever vigilant in our fight to eradicate hate," prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement.

Police have said the shooting happened about 5 a.m. during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The shooting killed 21-year-old Alunte Davis, 20-year-old Paris Cameron and 20-year-old Timothy Blancher, all of Detroit. Davis and Blancher were gay men and Cameron was a transgender woman, the prosecutor's office said.

Family members said they want justice for the killings. Dasha Robinson remembered Davis, her brother, telling WJBK-TV: "Alunte was silly. He was full of life, he was helpful."

Prosecutor's spokeswoman Maria Miller provided the alleged motive in an email Friday but declined to release additional details, saying those would come out later in court.

The Fair Michigan Justice Project, which assists authorities investigating serious crimes against LGBTQ people, worked with prosecutors on the case. Fair Michigan President Alanna Maguire said, "This case illustrates the mortal danger faced by members of Detroit's LGBTQ community."