Gay bar shot by police

The suspect walked into the Backstreet Cafe late Friday, ordereda beer and after a few minutes pulled a handgun from his coat andbegan firing, said police spokeswoman Shelly Alley. Seven of the 25 people in the bar were wounded, one critically. Danny Lee Overstreet, 43, died at the scene in what police wereinvestigating as a hate crime.

She asked notto be identified for fear she might lose her job. Ronald Edward Gay, 53, was charged with murder in connectionwith the shootings and was being held without bail today. Additional charges were expected, Alley said.

US gay club shooting suspect faces murder, hate crime charges

One person gave the man directions and then called police, whoarrived at the Backstreet Cafe shortly after the shooting. Officers found Gay walking down a street about two blocks fromthe Backstreet Cafe and arrested him, Alley said. She said policefound a 9 mm pistol in a trash can near the bar.

Outside the Backstreet Cafe, flowers, cards and balloons were leftby members of the community. Larry Payne, co-owner of a gay and lesbian book and gift shop afew blocks from the bar, said there had not been any growingtension or acts of violence against gays in Roanoke.

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