By Jami Calandros
CHRIS Allen Villegas-Fentress, 27, was killed in Savannah around 6 p.m. on March 15, at the Dollar General on West Bay Street.
Chris, a Virginia native, had moved to Savannah recently with his partner, Oscar, to start a new chapter of their lives. This dream was shattered when Chris was brutally killed after a verbal confrontation in a store with another customer.
Johnathan Manson, 27, was arrested by Savannah Police and is being charged with murder.
The Savannah Pride Center has called on the Savannah Police Department to investigate this case as a hate crime. The SPD has declined this demand, stating lack of evidence to support such a claim.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson has also released a statement in compliance with the police, stating again, a lack of evidence to support a hate crime, despite several eye witnesses at the scene, including those who say that Chris was indeed targeted for being a homosexual.
On March 15th, Chris was with his partner, Oscar and a friend Amy. Amy had offered to help an elderly gentleman pay for his items.
The cashier denied the request, and told them they had to go to the back of the line. That is when they encountered the shooter.
The shooter then asked Chris and his friends to pay for his items, and a verbal argument started, including several homophobic slurs targeted toward Chris.
After leaving the store, Chris returned to confront the shooter, and he was then killed.
The shooter seemed to have had a history of posting anti-LGBTQIA rhetoric on his Facebook page.
According to a recent Human Rights Campaign Data Report, the city of Savannah has not reported a hate crime in over two years.
“It is important to note that Savannah hasn’t reported any hate crimes in years, which is in stark contrast with other Georgia cities throughout the state,” said Savannah Pride Center Executive Director Michael Bell.
“From the time I met Chris, we would talk about our community and what outreach events we could do,” said Bell when remembering his friend.
Friends gathered in Forsyth Park on Thursday evening to remember Chris and his lasting impact on their lives.
“Chris was love. And I love him,” said Chris’s father when asked if he had any words for the vigil.
A moment of silence was held at the end of the ceremony, with only the faint sound of child playing and a low train bellowing in the distance.
