Local

Man charged in D.C. murder says victim was gay

Police say man shot, set on fire in Euclid Street apartment

Published

13 years ago

August 6, 2013

Friend and neighbors of Randolph Scott Harris Jr. set up a memorial for him outside the apartment building where he was murdered on July 26. (Washington Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.)

A D.C. man charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with the July 26 shooting death of D.C. resident Randolph Scott Harris Jr., 31, told homicide detectives Harris was gay and tried to establish a relationship with him.

According to a six-page police affidavit in support of the Aug. 1 arrest of Jermaine Brown, 34, Brown allegedly shot Harris three times while attempting to rob him inside Harris’s apartment at 1034 Euclid St., N.W.

The D.C. Medical Examiner determined that Harris, who worked for a contractor that provided services for 7-Eleven stores, died of both gunshot wounds and severe burns. The affidavit says Harris appears to have been set on fire while alive and seated on a wicker chair in the living room of his apartment.

The arrest affidavit says Brown gave several conflicting versions of his actions and whereabouts on the night before Fire Department rescue workers found Harris unconscious in his apartment shortly after 6 a.m. on July 26. Police said residents in the building called 911 after they noticed smoke coming from Harris’s second-floor apartment.

The affidavit says homicide detectives linked Brown to the murder after discovering he was in possession of items missing from Harris’s apartment, including iPhones and an iPad. It says Brown later admitted using a “spare key” to take Harris’s Mercedes SUV, which was reported stolen from the apartment building where Harris lived.

“He reported that he would visit the decedent, who he called by the nickname “Man,” the police affidavit says. “[H]owever, he said he had just met Man. Defendant 1 [Brown] referred to Man as gay and that Man tried to ‘holla’ at him (tried to talk to establish a relationship),” says the affidavit.

“[H]e denied ever ‘going that way’ because something is wrong with it and he sees a problem with it,” the affidavit says in referring to Harris’s sexual orientation. “He described it as being nasty.”

The affidavit says that in a follow-up interview just prior to his arrest Brown admitted to stealing Harris’s Mercedes and then told detectives “he occasionally engaged in sex with men, but that he has never had a sexual relationship with the decedent.”

Court records show that prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s office didn’t list the murder charge filed against Brown as a hate crime.

William Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office, said the office doesn’t comment on pending cases.

Gay activists have expressed concern over past cases in which suspects charged with killing or assaulting a gay man have invoked the so-called gay panic defense. The defense involves claims by defendants that they killed or assaulted a gay man after the gay man allegedly propositioned them for sex, causing the defendant to panic and commit a violent act that should be excused as a form of self-defense.

Anthony Lorenzo Green, a Ward 8 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner who is gay, said he and Harris were in a relationship in 2007 and remained close friends after the relationship ended. He said most people who knew Harris knew he was gay and that his sexual orientation did not matter.

“He was a giving person. He wouldn’t try to take advantage of anyone,” Green said. “This just burns me up that this would happen to somebody who was such a loving person.”

At the request of prosecutors, a Superior Court judge ordered Brown held without bond pending an Aug. 22 preliminary hearing, at which time prosecutors are expected to request that he be held until the time of his trial.

The local blog Homicide Watch D.C. posted a copy of the affidavit in support of Brown’s arrest on its website.

Hassan Naveed, co-chair of the D.C. group Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV), said the D.C. police Critical Incident Task Force, which monitors LGBT-related crimes, sent GLOV and local LGBT activists an alert informing them about Harris’s murder.

WJLA-7 News reported that family members and neighbors who knew Harris expressed shock over his death, saying he was well liked in the apartment building where he lived.

“I just can’t imagine who would do such a thing,” WJLA quoted a friend, Sabrina Kenney, as saying.

Friends and neighbors from the apartment building on Euclid Street set up a memorial for Harris directly in front of the building by placing toy stuffed animals and a poster-size placard bearing notes expressing their fondness for him on a sidewalk lamppost.

“We love you, Randy,” said one of the notes.

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Local

Comings & Goings

Whitman-Walker honors Rep. Sarah McBride

Published

3 days ago

May 8, 2026

Peter Rosenstein

U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].

Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”

McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”

Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”

On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”

Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman.

Virginia

Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan

Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month

Published

3 days ago

May 8, 2026

Staff reports

Virginia Supreme Court (Photo by sainaniritu/Bigstock)

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.

Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.

The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.

District of Columbia

Maren Morris to headline Capital Pride Concert

Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter came out as bisexual in 2024

Published

3 days ago

May 8, 2026

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Maren Morris (Photo by Debby Wong/Bigstock)

Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, announced on May 7 that nationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Maren Morris, who identifies as bisexual, will be the headline performer at this year’s Capital Pride Concert scheduled for June 21.

The concert takes place as part of the annual Capital Pride Festival held on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., usually between 3rd Street near the U.S. Capitol and 9th Street.

“Morris, known for her genre-blending sound and outspoken support of LGBTQ+ rights, will be joined by a standout lineup, including acclaimed queer rapper Leikeli47, pop icon Lisa Lisa, Juno-nominated producer and DJ from the ‘Heated Rivalry’ soundtrack, Harrison, and ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18 winner Myki Meeks,” according to a statement released by Capital Pride.

“In a moment when LGBTQ+ people are being challenged across the country, the Capital Pride Concert is a space where our community is fully seen and heard,” Ryan Bos, the Capital Pride Alliance CEO and president, said in the statement. “Bringing Maren Morris to the stage reflects this year’s theme: Exist, Resist, Have the Audacity,” Bos said.

The statement notes that the concert takes place as part of the annual D.C. Pride Festival, which is open to the public free of charge, with tickets available for purchase for specific areas listed as the Capital Stage Pit Zone and the VIP Concert Zone.

It says the festival takes place from 12 –10 p.m. and points out that in addition to the music performed by multiple other performers on several stages, festival attendees “can explore hundreds of exhibitors, community organizations, and artisans, along with multiple food courts and beverage gardens throughout the festival footprint.”

Information on the Capital Pride Alliance website shows that the festival takes place one day after the annual Capital Pride Parade, scheduled for June 20 and which is expected to travel from 14th and T Streets, N.W., to Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., where it is expected to end at 9th Street.

The statement adds that following the stage performances during the June 21 festival, which are expected to conclude around 8 p.m., “the celebration will continue with the Capitol Sunset Dance Party, closing out the evening against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol.”

The online publication Today, which is part of the NBC “Today” television show, reported that Morris came out as bisexual in a 2024 during Pride. It reports Morris “shared several images of herself holding a Pride flag to mark the occasion, writing, ‘Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+’”