Masked Attacker Strikes Gay Man With Rock in Northeast D.C.
Gay couple says masked assailant has harassed them for over a year and believe the recent attack was a hate crime.
A masked assailant threw a sharp rock through the front window of a gay couple’s home in Northeast D.C., striking one of the men in the head.
The attack occurred last Friday in the city’s Kingman Park neighborhood, just as WorldPride weekend festivities were set to begin.
Surveillance video captured the assault. In the footage, a masked individual approaches the couple’s house — decorated with rainbow Pride flags in the front yard — and hurls a rock through the front window before fleeing. A cry can be heard from inside the home.
Addam Schauer-Mayhew, the partner who was struck in the head by the rock, told CBS affiliate WUSA that he was sitting on his couch watching tennis while his husband, Bryan Schauer, was upstairs. The rock shattered the window and struck him in the side of the face, causing him to cry out in pain.
Schauer-Mayhew, who is recovering from the injury, says the swelling on his face has gone down slightly, noting that the rock caused significant bleeding.
“It was a lot of blood. The rock that was thrown was about baseball size, and it was almost like a piece of concrete that had sharp, jagged edges. I can’t imagine how much it hurt,” Schauer added, referring to his husband’s injuries.
The person seen in the video is wearing a mask, a gray T-shirt with a gray hoodie over it, dark pants, and white-and-gray sneakers.
The couple believes the attack was not only a hate crime, but that they’ve previously encountered the assailant, whom they suspect is a juvenile. They say the prime suspect has harassed and terrorized them for over a year, often accompanied by another teen they believe to be much younger.
“One time late last year, as we were leaving our garage, he was throwing LGBTQ slurs at us. They know who we are and where we live,” Schauer-Mayhew said.
In the surveillance video, the masked rock-thrower appears to be wearing an ankle monitor — suggesting prior involvement with the criminal justice system.
The couple told WUSA the incident has left them fearful for their safety. They hope someone will recognize the person in the video.
“This is the first time in the 20 years I’ve lived here that I’ve been afraid to go outside,” Schauer-Mayhew told WUSA.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the incident. Anyone with information about the alleged suspect or the rock-throwing attack is encouraged to contact police. Anonymous tips can be submitted via the department’s tip line at 202-727-9099 or by texting 50411. Tips can also be left by calling the department’s Hate Crime tip line at 202-727-0500.
Schauer-Mayhew also expressed frustration over what he believes was a targeted attack based on his sexual orientation.
“I am proud of who I am. I’m proud to be a gay man, a queer man, living in the city that I love in,” he said. “I’m just trying to be accepted.”
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