Police on are seeking a man in connection with gun and hatchet attacks overnight at a gay bar in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Three people were wounded. One stabbed - two other shot in the torso. The bartender reports that one man was shot in the head - this is not confirmed. Authorities described suspect Jacob D. Robida, 18, of New Bedford as violent, armed and dangerous. He is wanted on suspicion of three counts of attempted murder and hate crimes, police said.

"At that time I was a little nervous as to why he was asking," the bartender said. "I don't know if it's because he felt out of place if he wasn't gay, or if it's because he wanted to actually find out if he's in the right place."

He said the man was dressed in a hooded, black sweat shirt, with the hood over his face, and baggy jeans. "He just had a stone cold look on his face ... just emotionless," Phillip said.

Recalling he checked the man's ID before serving him a drink, Phillip said the identification indicated he was 23, with an October 19, 1982, birth date.

After finishing the drink and ordering a second one, Philip said, the man moved to the back of the bar, watching a game of pool briefly before taking out a hatchet -- a small ax the size of a hammer, Phillip said. "He started swinging the hatchet on top of this customer's head," he said.

The bartender said he then called 911, trying to keep the phone from view, and urged patrons out the door.

Meanwhile, the attacker struck a second patron with the hatchet, pulled out a gun and shot the first victim in the face and the second twice in the head, Phillip said. A third person also was shot in the abdomen.

Phillip said he came face to face with the attacker at the bar door and the man pointed a gun at his face and pulled the trigger but nothing happened.

A helicopter transported one of the victims to a hospital in Boston, about 50 miles north of New Bedford, and the other two went to St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford. Police said they are in serious condition.

The Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus issued a statement in response to the attack. "Unfortunately, the gay community is used to hate crimes," the statement said.

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Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese made the following statement in the wake of a violent anti-gay hate crime in Massachusetts Wednesday evening.

"When a man walks into a bar, asks if it's a gay bar and starts shooting, there couldn't be any more glaringly obvious and enraging example that we need uniform hate crimes law and that Congress has stubbornly failed to act," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "The Senate can change this today. Whether the hate crime occurs in New Bedford, Massachusetts, or Roanoke, Virginia, local law enforcement deserve access to the same tools. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act would do this.

"I am infuriated and deeply saddened. Our hearts are with the families and friends of those wounded in this tragic hate crime," added Solmonese. "This harrowing crime is a sobering and shocking reminder of the way anti-gay prejudice manifests to violence and that we need to deal with this as a country.

"We are thankful that the local authorities are investigating this as a hate crime. We stand by Congressional allies who have been working for years to pass a measure giving critical tools to police officers and district attorneys working for justice in the wake of horrifying hate crimes."

According to reports a man walked into a lounge in New Bedford, Mass., asking if it was a gay bar. He then brandished a hatchet, swinging it at victims, and later drew a gun, opening fire and wounding several people.

In the course of prosecuting the killers in the anti-gay hate crime in Laramie, Wyo., in which Matthew Shepard was murdered, local law enforcement was forced to furlough several officers due to scarcity of resources. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, already passed by the House in the fall and by the Senate in years past, would give grants to local law enforcement to fully prosecute these crimes. Senate leadership is stalling a vote on the bill.

SENATOR KENNEDY'S STATEMENT ON NEW BEDFORD ATTACKS
"Hate crimes have no place in our society, and this hateful act is a sad reminder of how far we have to go," Senator Kennedy said. "I join all of New Bedford and all of Massachusetts in praying for the victims' recovery and in demanding justice.

After eight long years of delay, it's essential that we finally pass long overdue federal legislation to combat these despicable crimes."

Related Posts:
Gay Killer Still on the Loose
Shot in the Head Twice - Jacob Robida is dead.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 02, 2006 at 10:59 AM. Want to discuss? Leave a comment below.