Detroit Police Investigate Connections Between Shootings of LGBT Men

Police in Detroit are investigating whether or not three recent shootings (one fatal) of three men had anything to do with their sexuality, the Detroit News' Metro and Slate reports.

The authorities say they are currently talking to a person of interest in the fatal shooting of one of the victims, who was shot early Friday morning.

Police found the body of a man in the parking lot of Palmer Park in Detroit and said he had been shot in the head. Police could not confirm if the victim was gay or transgender, but the area "has long been associated with the gay community," the newspaper writes.

Within the week of the first shooting, two more gay or transgender men were shot in the same area. The shootings took place at night, but both men survived the incident.

"There was a car chase as a result of the Aug. 15 fatal shooting," Sgt. Michael Woody told the publication. "The officer did not know if it was connected to the homicide. The car rolled, the driver bailed and was never caught. A weapon was discovered when the car was processed."

He added: "We don't know if it was connected to the shooting, but it might be."

The weapon the police found led them to the person of interest, who has been interviewed about the shootings.

"There are a lot of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) who congregate in that area," Woody said. "We're not sure if the shootings were related or just happenstance. We're looking into it, but we can't say they were definitely connected."