Durand Robinson, an organizer of
Atlanta's annual Black Gay Pride, was found shot dead early Wednesday
morning in Atlanta, The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
Police suspect the 50-year gay activist
was a victim of a possible carjacking.
Robinson was co-owner of the city's
popular gay nightclub Traxx and an organizer of the city's annual
Black Gay Pride celebration, now in its fourteenth year.
“His light will be missed, but his
spirit and the shared memories will live on in our hearts and the
hearts of his family, friends, loved ones and those in the community
who knew him,” the
nonprofit group The Life Atlanta, which organizes Atlanta Black Gay
Pride, said at its website.
The group will honor Robinson's legacy
at a candlelight vigil on September 1.
A police spokesman said the department
wasn't ruling out the possibility that Robinson was murdered because
he was gay.
“The Atlanta Police Department is
exploring all possibilities with regards to the homicide of Durand
Robinson,” the spokesman said.
Police responded at about 1:30AM to a
911 caller who reported an injured man lying in the street. She said
she looked outside after hearing a loud scream.