Atlanta police have arrested one suspect in the videotaped beating of a 20-year-old gay man and have identified the other two, officials said Saturday.
Police arrested Mr. Christopher Cain, 18, around midnight Friday in the DeKalb County portion of the city and charged him with aggravated assault and robbery, police spokesman Mr. Carlos Campus said.
Investigators said they have also identified the other two suspects who are wanted for aggravated assault and armed robbery in the attack that happened on Jan. 4 in southwest Atlanta.
They declined to release the other two suspects’ names.
Three men beat, kick and punched Mr. Brandon White while repeatedly shouting anti-gay invectives in front of a corner market at 1029 McDaniel St. in the Pittsburgh community by men identified as members of the 1029 Jack City Gang.
Police and the FBI found out about the incident when video footage of the crime was posted online. Federal authorities said they are considering seeking federal hate crime charges against the suspects.
Mr. Cain’s arrest came that same day the community held a rally to show their support for Mr. White and to show his attackers that they will not tolerate such crime and violence.
They stood out in the bitter cold as U.S. Rep. John Lewis urged the crowd to continue speaking out against crime.
“When you see something going wrong, you must do what you are doing today,” Mr. Lewis said, according to Channel 2 Action News.
They were also urged to not let their call for change dissipate after the rally.
“This is not a one day campaign. This is not a one week campaign. This is a lifetime campaign,” city Councilwoman Cleta Winslow said, according to media reports.
In a public safety meeting Thursday, residents offered suggestion for how to address violence and crime in Pittsburgh.
“I recommend a neighborhood watch program with nightly patrols by the neighborhood to reduce the level of required police patrols,” Ms. Nykieria Chaney said, according to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. “Also, a mandatory curfew for children and adolescents who are out without parent supervision.”
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