Friends and community members gathered in New York City on May 20 to remember Mark Carson.
Carson was shot in the head May 18 while walking in Greenwich Village.
The killing, which is being called a hate crime, is the most violent of a recent rash of attacks in New York targeting queer people.
“He was my friend,” says Chianne Mason. “We just bonded instantly because he was just so open, so nice. Such a character. That guy was someone to know.”
Police have charged a 33-year-old man with Carson’s murder. “It’s clear that [Carson] was killed only because and just because he was thought to be gay,” New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said at a media briefing.
In a frightening turn of events, two attendees of the memorial march for Carson were bashed later on May 20 while walking on Broadway between Prince and Houston streets.
Police have arrested two men and are charging them with assault as a hate crime.
Below is our coverage of the Mark Carson memorial. Watch xtra.ca for more video coverage about violence directed toward members of the queer community in New York City.
With files from Jillian Eugenios.
Why you can trust Xtra
