Authorities in Tulsa identified Carlton Gilford, as the suspect accused of fatally shooting two White strangers in the back of the head in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in what police believe to be a racially motivated attack, reports NY Post.
Gilford, who according to jail records is homeless,
“shot and killed two men to whom he did not have any connection”
on April 18, according to the Tulsa Police Department per the outlet.
The suspect went inside the Rudisill Library around 9:40 a.m., crept up behind a man sitting at a desk, and savagely shot him in the back of the head. The victim identified as Lundin Hathcock, 35, was rushed to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Later that day, Gilford made his way to a nearby QuikTrip convenience store and shot 55-year-old James McDaniel in the back of the head. The victim reportedly fell to the ground and Gilford shot him again. McDaniel was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said they have surveillance footage of Gilford also firing shots at a security guard and another person outside the QuikTrip. When police arrived on the scene, Gilford who was standing outside the store, confessed to killing the two men.
Gilford was arrested and charged with
“two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of shooting with intent to kill, and one count of malicious intimidation or harassment,”
the records reveal.
“The information suggests that race played a role in it,”
said Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, according to local CBS affiliate KOTV.
“I feel like that is something we can prove, and it is something that a judge or jury obviously needs to listen to. So, we will present that information along with everything else.”
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
