A man who was shot during Atlanta Black Pride Weekend is recovering at Grady Memorial Hospital as authorities try to determine if the crime was motivated by hate.
Ira Moorer, 27, was shot in the back on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway after an argument inside the 1050 Social Club about 5 a.m. on Sept. 3, according to an Atlanta police incident report obtained by AJC.com.
A GoFundMe page for Moorer alleges the attacker beat, kicked and called him homophobic slurs before the shooting. Four 9 mm shell casings were found at the scene, police said.
Atlanta police public affairs director Carlos Campos said the department has “brought in our Homeland Security team and LGBT liaisons to look into the bias crime allegations.”
Georgia is one of five states that does not have a hate crime statute creating tougher penalties for people who commit crimes based on sexual orientation, race, religion or disability.
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Atlanta Black Pride Weekend began Aug. 28 and lasted through Sept. 2, but some events went into the early hours of Sept. 3, according to its website.
The shooting shut down Hollowell Parkway for about two hours while investigators were at the scene. Several people refused to come out of the club, and they were detained before being released, police said. In their report, police identified Moorer as Ira Johnson.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Atlanta police Capt. William Ricker previously said a fight between two groups led to the shooting and "security was involved as well." The security guard was not at the scene when police arrived, Ricker said.
The GoFundMe page alleges that a security guard at the club was the person who attacked Moorer. Police have not made any arrests in the case, and it’s unclear if a security guard is a person of interest in the investigation.
Witnesses described the suspect as a man who was wearing a black hat, black shirt and black jeans, according to the incident report. The suspect might have driven away in a black Honda Accord with Georgia tag RNC8704.
Moorer was rushed to Grady, where he was sedated but stable hours after the shooting, police said. The GoFundMe page said Moorer underwent six hours of surgery and remains in the hospital. Posts on his public Facebook page indicate he’s able to walk as his rehabilitation continues.
“Not only is Ira in physical pain but also in mental pain,” his GoFundMe page says. “He has frequent nightmares of the incident and he is emotionally broken from the attack as he cannot grasp why someone would try to kill him simply because of who he loves.”
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The page, which is raising money to help his family cover medical bills, has received more than $1,000 in donations.
No other details about the investigation have been released. Anyone with information is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 404-577-8477 or online at www.StopCrimeATL.com. Tips can be submitted anonymously, and information leading to an arrest and indictment in this investigation can earn tipsters up to $2,000.
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