Many members of the LGBT Community continue to doubt the statements made by Portland Police Chief Randy Wright about the shootings of two lesbians in Portland, Texas that left one dead and one recovering slowly. The person who may be answer whether or not anti-LGBT hatred was at the center of the shootings has regained consciousness and remembers the night of the shooting, according to ABC News.
Mary Kristene Chapa, 18, and her girlfriend, Mollie Olgin, 19, were both shot in the head at Violet Andrews Park on 22 June. The two were left for dead by their assailant. Olgin died of her injuries, but Chapa survived. The two were found the next morning about six hours after being shot. The shootings occurred around midnight.
Olgin’s friends and family honored her last Friday and held a candlelight vigil for both.
KBOI reports that “A close friend of Olgin remembered the last time she saw her “bubbly” friend and how happy she was. She said Olgin proudly showed off a ring that said ‘Mollie Loves Mary,’ which is Chapa’s first name, though she goes by her middle name, Kristene.”
The friend stated that “If you were her friend or [she] barely met you, she’d give you the world and then some.”
Wright continues to stated that “There continues to be no evidence that the attack was motivated by the victims’ sexual orientation.” Police have announced that they have a witness who has come forward to describe the suspect as a white male in his twenties. He is estimated to be five foot eight and weighs about 140lbs. The Portland Police Department are being assisted by the FBI, Texas Rangers and the Texas Department of Public Safety. There were several vehicles at the park the night of the shooting.
Mario Olgin, Mollie’s father, is hopeful that his daughter’s murderer will be caught saying “She was happy. Justice will be served.”
Attacks on LGBT Americans have been on the rise over all.