Gerald Declan Radford shot and killed John Walter Lay at the West Dog Park in Tampa, Florida, authorities said. (Mug shot: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; screenshot of the park: WTVT; and screen of Lay: WTSP)
A shooter claimed that he killed another man at a dog park in self-defense, but investigators found witness statements and the victim’s own words to discover that the defendant threatened and hated him for being gay, say deputies and prosecutors in Hillsborough County, Florida.
“You’re gonna die,” the suspect, Gerald Declan Radford, 65, said, according to the now-dead, John Walter Lay, 52.
The fatal shooting happened the morning of Feb. 2 at the West Dog Park in the Egypt Lake-Leto area. Deputies responded.
They found Lay at the scene and tried to save his life, but he was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Authorities said that at the time, they only had Radford’s word about what happened — that he shot and killed Lay in self-defense during a “scuffle.” There were no eyewitnesses. In addressing criticism regarding how long it took to make a criminal case, the prosecutor’s office cited the state’s Stand Your Ground law.
“It is important to note how difficult it can be to refute a Stand Your Ground claim in some cases because the only other witness to the incident is deceased,” they wrote.
In any case, authorities said they were able to find holes in Radford’s story because people stepped forward claiming they heard Radford used homophobic slurs against Lay, even hearing him speak about wanting to hurt the man while at the dog park.
Lay also made cell phone video 24 hours before the shooting, warning friends that Radford told him, “You’re gonna die,” prosecutors wrote.
The men had allegedly become friends after meeting at the dog park, but it soured after they got into a confrontation over Lay being gay, according to Tampa Fox affiliate WTVT. Radford harassed Lay for two years, flinging homophobic slurs, the victim’s sister, Sabrena Hughes, told the outlet.
“After analyzing the evidence, it was clear that this man acted from hatred within his heart,” Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “A hatred that will not be tolerated within our strong and diverse community. Thank you to State Attorney Suzy Lopez for allowing our detectives the time needed to conduct a thorough investigation. We hope the arrest brings some peace to the family of a man taken from us too soon.”
“We should all be able to enjoy a day at the dog park without the fear of gunfire,” State Attorney Suzy Lopez said. “This victim also deserved to live free from fear and discrimination based on his sexual orientation. The evidence shows the defendant’s actions were motivated by hate, and he will be held accountable. My heart is with the victim’s family and large group of friends as we fight for justice together.”
Radford is charged with second-degree murder under a hate crime enhancement and is at the Falkenburg Road Jail without bond as of Sunday.
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