A lottery winner killed the Detroit landlord from Australia...

[hamtown mike]

He might get mad at other people, but the white foreign guy is the only one he shot.

That we know of....

[hamtown mike]

I have to firmly disagree that this man's murder is anywhere near the most compelling reason that people avoid Detroit. Immigrants get murdered quite frequently in NYC, LA, Miami, and other cities with large foreign born populations.

I don't want to come off as sounding callous because a man did lose his life, but it is what it is. Just last month two British tourists were murdered in Sarasota, Florida.

I think the compelling part of this story, as it relates to Detroit Yes and the contributors/readers here, is that most, if not all of us, care. We are in the streets making a difference, or at least trying. Clearly Mr. Nichols cared as well. His murder is a frightening sign to all of us who are on the ground that we could catch a cap while in the process of caring. Imagine the headlines-Man shot while mowing forgotten cyclodrome. Woman shot during city-wide cleanup day. 3 Roosevelt park volunteers in critical condition after alleged turf war.

Money, sex and power are life's 3 top motivators and I cannot see how any of those apply [[except for simply wanting to be a big man with a gun). On a sociological level, I cannot wait until police or the suspect offers up a MO.

[j to the jeremy]

You're absolutely right. The victim would have to have been black and the shooter white to make it racist.

Since he was Australian, we can just call it xenophobic.

This could have happened to any landlord, however. It was just his misfortune to be there in person, trying to reason with someone who probably couldn't be reasoned with.

[SWMAP]

Maybe his wasn't a racist act; maybe it was a "cultural act" - the guy has won the lottery. He has a big commanding vehicle, he has "distinctive" [[read: expensive) glasses, he has enough money to settle daughter's rent bill but he just drives up and shoots to kill. That settles things!

[coracle]

Since he was Australian, we can just call it xenophobic.

This could have happened to any landlord, however. It was just his misfortune to be there in person, trying to reason with someone who probably couldn't be reasoned with.

Why can't it be called what it is - racist. He wasn't "any landlord" he was Mr. McNichol a white Australian "there in person" murdered by a black man. It was a disgusting racist act.

[Bham1982]

Why can't it be called what it is - racist. He wasn't "any landlord" he was Mr. McNichol a white Australian "there in person" murdered by a black man. It was a disgusting racist act.

We don't know the motivation, so you're just speculating re. intent.

There may have been a racist [[or anti-foreigner) intent as part of the crime, but there's nothing yet released that gives insight on motivations.

[Gistok]

Remember me mentioning on another thread that a LOT ot mainly residential property in Detroit is being bought up cheaply by folks from Britain, Australia, United Arab Emirates and California.... and being fixed up and rented out...

... not after this gets into the foreign [[and California) press...

[coracle]

We don't know the motivation, so you're just speculating re. intent.

There may have been a racist [[or anti-foreigner) intent as part of the crime, but there's nothing yet released that gives insight on motivations.

Is "anti-foreigner" a softer definition of "racist" to appease the accused racist's race? My point is that had the rolls been reversed there would be no calls for insights on motivations or weasle words like xenophobic and foreigner to excuse the perpetrator of the accusation - racist.

[313WX]

Now if the fact that he actually shot the landlord over a petty dispute didn't piss anyone off, the fact that he's rich off of your taxpayer dollars when you're living paycheck to paycheck and he still committed this crime should.

[iheartthed]

Is "anti-foreigner" a softer definition of "racist" to appease the accused racist's race? My point is that had the rolls been reversed there would be no calls for insights on motivations or weasle words like xenophobic and foreigner to excuse the perpetrator of the accusation - racist.

You have no other point other than wanting to run your mouth.

[English]

Now if the fact that he actually shot the landlord over a petty dispute didn't piss anyone off, the fact that he's rich off of your taxpayer dollars when you're living paycheck to paycheck and he still committed this crime should.

Um, he didn't get rich off taxpayers. I don't play the lottery. And before his earnings, he was a Romulus postal worker.

Given his age, I wonder if he knew my father. Dad was always going out to the "airport post office" from Main for one reason or the other... and as a union steward, he seemed to know all the postal workers within the tri-county area. I wonder what his take would have been on this... for some reason, as much as I miss him, I think we would have had a knock-down, drag-out argument about it.

[coracle]

Why are some people trying to excuse this murderer from being alleged a racist for this black on white murder; would they prefer just to label him murderer and sweep the racism implication under the carpet because it's Detroit? [[says he,shooting off his mouth again)

[Detroitej72]

The victim's family needs to sue the perp for wrongful death and take all that lottery money. This way his piece of shit daughter will never see one cent of it.

[UpTown]

Is "anti-foreigner" a softer definition of "racist" to appease the accused racist's race? My point is that had the rolls been reversed there would be no calls for insights on motivations or weasle words like xenophobic and foreigner to excuse the perpetrator of the accusation - racist.

More syllables to lighten the impact of the underlying intent. Be it "racist", or "anti-foreigner", let's call this plain and simply what it is: "anti-progress." Cultural, racial, and social barriers were being torn down with the motive of making a true neighborhood again. An apartment complex being renovated by someone living, LIVING within it, experiencing life alongside everyone else within those walls. Hoping to purchase a small plot of land across the street to install picnic tables and seating for the tenants to convene together and enjoy a Detroit summer cooking, laughing, and living. Optimism/hope for making new, lasting, diverse memories with new people in a city with 140 empty and abandoned square miles of fading memories was simply wiped out with malice and sheer contempt. Contempt for anything new, different and threatening to the "norm" that this maniac expects to force upon everyone else around him [[his daughter a shining example).

Also: he shot this poor guy in the groin. Way to make this guy suffer even more. Imagine what was going through that guy's head, the last memories he is creating in his mind as he looks at that man pulling the trigger, and the ignorant worthless, useless, daughter he had to argue with over what now seems like a trivial amount of coin [[now knowing said maniac's recent financial windfall).

Make this maniac have to spend every weekend rebuilding that apartment complex, after the widow sues him for every red cent he has. That is fitting punishment.

Really: Abandon hope, all ye who enter.

[313WX]

Given his age, I wonder if he knew my father. Dad was always going out to the "airport post office" from Main for one reason or the other... and as a union steward, he seemed to know all the postal workers within the tri-county area. I wonder what his take would have been on this... for some reason, as much as I miss him, I think we would have had a knock-down, drag-out argument about it.

Your dad worked at P-1 [[the processing facility)? The guy worked there as a Custodian, and they didn't allow public access there. He didn't work at a station.

Actually, I do know some people [[who work at P-1) that knew the guy. He lost a son a few years ago because of violence, so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with his actions here. He was also a very muscular guy, they called him "Popeye." He did go up to that apartment before and cause trouble [[the people there were scared to death of him), but it didn't escalate to this extent until now. Many of the guys at P-1 were surprised he would do something like this, since at the job he seemed like a very charimastic guy and would always tell others to forgive and forget.

I'm not sure what caused him to snap.

[English]

Your dad worked at P-1 [[the processing facility)? The guy worked there as a Custodian, and they didn't allow public access there. He didn't work at a station.

Not sure if Dad was in P-1. He went from letter carrier, to data collections, to desk clerk. He was a union steward from the late 1980s through the early 1990s. When he did data collections, he'd work all over the place. Dad wasn't a talker, so I had no idea what he did, and as a self-absorbed kid, I didn't much care. So glad that he likely didn't run into this maniac, and kinda glad that he's gone so that I don't have to hear him justify this [[we got into it over all kinds of topics while he was living).

Actually, I do know some people [[who work at P-1) that knew the guy. He lost a son a few years ago because of violence, so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with his actions here. He was also a very muscular guy, they called him "Popeye." He did go up to that apartment before and cause trouble [[the people there were scared to death of him), but it didn't escalate to this extent until now. Many of the guys at P-1 were surprised he would do something like this, since at the job he seemed like a very charimastic guy and would always tell others to forgive and forget.

I'm not sure what caused him to snap.

I wish there was a way to discourage and stamp out this kind of bullying. For some reason, you could tell from the story this was likely an amoral man who raised an amoral daughter. I don't want to call him crazy; he knew what he was doing. He was/is EVIL.

[English]

More syllables to lighten the impact of the underlying intent. Be it "racist", or "anti-foreigner", let's call this plain and simply what it is: "anti-progress." Cultural, racial, and social barriers were being torn down with the motive of making a true neighborhood again. An apartment complex being renovated by someone living, LIVING within it, experiencing life alongside everyone else within those walls. Hoping to purchase a small plot of land across the street to install picnic tables and seating for the tenants to convene together and enjoy a Detroit summer cooking, laughing, and living. Optimism/hope for making new, lasting, diverse memories with new people in a city with 140 empty and abandoned square miles of fading memories was simply wiped out with malice and sheer contempt. Contempt for anything new, different and threatening to the "norm" that this maniac expects to force upon everyone else around him [[his daughter a shining example).

Also: he shot this poor guy in the groin. Way to make this guy suffer even more. Imagine what was going through that guy's head, the last memories he is creating in his mind as he looks at that man pulling the trigger, and the ignorant worthless, useless, daughter he had to argue with over what now seems like a trivial amount of coin [[now knowing said maniac's recent financial windfall).

Make this maniac have to spend every weekend rebuilding that apartment complex, after the widow sues him for every red cent he has. That is fitting punishment.

Really: Abandon hope, all ye who enter.

I totally agree with everything you've said. And people know I don't mince words when it comes to race. But this Young character is SCUM. Very happy to have this prosecuted as a hate crime, if it comes to that.

And while they're not all murderers, there are far too many people in the city who want to kill optimism and hope.

[Meddle]

I haven't seen a picture, so I can't say, but have any pictures been posted? Do you know for sure the victim was white? There are black Aussies.

[UpTown]

I haven't seen a picture, so I can't say, but have any pictures been posted? Do you know for sure the victim was white? There are black Aussies.

Yes, he was white.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/de...ml?from=age_sb

I'm wondering if/when Mayor Bing will make an appearance and condemn this. I imagine right now the media in Australia is spreading this with the swiftness, so anyone even thinking of coming from Australia to the wild, wild Detroit frontier is thinking otherwise. As English said earlier, one bad press clipping will far, far outweigh a slew of good press. And Detroit isn't getting much good press right now, AT ALL. Bing should come out and say this type of senseless slaughter of neighborhood building is one of the core reasons for his Detroit Works initiative. Seriously, this type of rampant disrespect of human life needs to be evicted from Detroit, or else really the only majority left will be that disrespect, with people like those who haunt this forum will be the minority getting culled.

[coracle]

I haven't seen a picture, so I can't say, but have any pictures been posted? Do you know for sure the victim was white? There are black Aussies.

Good point. I only assume he is! Meddle is obviously a very appropriate handle! So now to cover all angles we'll have to look at it as an American v Australian hate crime. [[but by a known black American) I think black Australians are Maoris and don't have names like McNichol.

[Vic01]

The victim's family needs to sue the perp for wrongful death and take all that lottery money. This way his piece of shit daughter will never see one cent of it.

Maybe someone should forward this plan to the widow?... being from Australia, she may not be aware this is an option in the U.S. legal system. It would certainly be justice to use the killers millions to continue her husband's dream...

[UpTown]

I totally agree with everything you've said. And people know I don't mince words when it comes to race. But this Young character is SCUM. Very happy to have this prosecuted as a hate crime, if it comes to that.

And while they're not all murderers, there are far too many people in the city who want to kill optimism and hope.

Hopefully the widow is able to follow through with her statement:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/au...516-1ep6q.html

This idiot killed someone who hoped to make a small part of this world a better place. Freddie Young murdered someone who disagreed with someone who refused to do what's right: pay rent, and thereby contribute to Greg's goal of building community. Freddie Young had no vested interest in that part of Detroit, only his selfish insane coddling of his spawn.
When you start to get the attention of an entire country with this insanity, it's time to poke your head out Mayor Bing and say something, anything. Bing travels to Italy to look at examples of neighborhood building. He should look a little closer to home, at what Greg McNicol was HOPING to do.

[bartock]

Hopefully the widow is able to follow through with her statement:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/au...516-1ep6q.html

This idiot killed someone who hoped to make a small part of this world a better place. Freddie Young murdered someone who disagreed with someone who refused to do what's right: pay rent, and thereby contribute to Greg's goal of building community. Freddie Young had no vested interest in that part of Detroit, only his selfish insane coddling of his spawn.
When you start to get the attention of an entire country with this insanity, it's time to poke your head out Mayor Bing and say something, anything. Bing travels to Italy to look at examples of neighborhood building. He should look a little closer to home, at what Greg McNicol was HOPING to do.

Agreed that Bing should come out and say something.

As for this possibly being a "hate crime," recall the mob beating incidents that took place in Mt. Clemens a couple of years ago. The perpetrators there were not charged with a hate crime, because they couldn't be -

"You mentioned ‘unprotected class.’ You mean white people are not protected by hate crime legislation?" Hackel answered that question by saying, 'It doesn’t appear as such at this point and time that there is something that would qualify.'"

Anyway, interesting article in the News about the father today.
http://detnews.com/article/20110518/METRO01/105180370

...and there are plenty of lawyers around - good ones - that would take the wife's civil case. I hope she pursues it, and I hope she has the support of the community.

[coracle]

Maybe someone should forward this plan to the widow?... being from Australia, she may not be aware this is an option in the U.S. legal system. It would certainly be justice to use the killers millions to continue her husband's dream...

According to the incomplete Detroit News report mentioned earlier we don't know if the killer was a member of the Lottery Club of 13 winners. If he was, and they won $29k, then presumably he would get $2.23k and after taxes about $1.23k; so his "millions" would amount to just over one million - which is still a tidy sum but not "millions" after Lawyer fees. And I don't think she would want to continue her husband's dream, it having already turned into a nightmare. Common sense says sell or demolish the apartment block, take all the money you can get, and get as far away from Detroit as possible.

[Danny]

Folks killing folks for the love of money! Even in the ghettoes of Detroit. When winning a lottery DON'T TATTLETALE! Collect your money in secret and invest in a bank. Don't let your family or friends know that you are rich. Don't buy fancy stuff Only but what you need i.e. food clothes and paying your utility bills and pay off your debts!Live your life that you're grateful and blessed. Give some money in secret to the poor. Start a Will in secret to a most trusted friend or family member. After you die, then your Will of your estate will go to that beneficiary with absolutely NO SMALL CLAIMS COURT hearing.