TAMPA, Fla. — Family and friends of a man from Tampa said they're calling for justice after he was fatally shot ten days ago.
John Walter Lay was shot and killed on Feb. 2 at West Dog Park. Those close to Lay, who also went by "Walt," said the accused shooter targeted him for being gay. No criminal charges have been filed.
"He didn't deserve to die because of his sexual orientation and his deferring opinions," Kim, who wishes to be identified by only her first name, said. "That's not a reason to kill somebody."
A press release for the fatal shooting was not released until four days after it happened. With no information shared publicly before the date, Kim said it prompted her to send information to the Tampa Bay Times to shed light on the investigation.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office confirmed the accused shooter's name is Gerald Declan Radford.
Friends of Lay told 10 Tampa Bay that while Lay and Radford shared differing political and social views, Radford would frequently harass Lay and call him anti-gay slurs.
Lay and his friends would often gather at a different part of the park to avoid Radford as well, according to their statements.
When asked how much Lay's sexual orientation was involved with the shooting, Paul Gumpert, a friend, responded stating, "I would say 100% because he didn't do it to anyone else."
Gumpert said Radford had also expressed wishes of physical harm to Lay in the past.
"I'm not a lawyer. I don't know beans, but to me, this is a hate crime," Albert Darlington, Lay's landlord, said.
HCSO declined to provide further comment, citing it is an open investigation. A spokesperson wrote the investigation would be handed to the State Attorney's Office at its conclusion.
Since details of the initial story were shared, organizations like the Florida National Organization for Women, have denounced the fatal shooting. Equality Florida, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, also denounced the shooting through X, formerly known as Twitter.
"The community needs to hear from our leaders about the values they stand for in the face of hate and be assured that this investigation is not hampered by bias," the organization wrote in part.
Friends of Lay said he did not want to get police involved, believing the situation would worsen. The day before his death, Lay filmed himself at the park documenting an alleged encounter with Radford, and shared it with Kim.
In the video, Lay could be heard stating someone had screamed at him and said, 'You're going to die. You're going to die.'" Lay added in the video, "I asked him to leave me alone and so far he has."
Radford declined to comment on the case to 10 Tampa Bay. In a text message, he wrote: "I have not heard from the detective yet. Therefore I can make no comments"
Darlington said Radford texted him the day of the fatal shooting. In it was a picture of Radford's face and text that read in part: "Walt attacked me at the park and I had to defend myself."
Darlington said he was unaware Lay had died. Friends of Lay said they don't believe Radford's statement.
"He just would have never gone up to somebody and attacked them. That wasn't in his nature," Kim said. "He was a loving, kind person."
Gumpert said with Radford facing no charges, he has concerns about the public's safety at the park. Gumpert, a former U.S. attorney's office employee, emailed deputies requesting a red flag investigation with the hopes that any firearms Radford owns be taken away.
When asked what justice would look like to him, Gumpert stated: "Grand jury indictment and remove his weapons and then make him pay legal fees."
Kim said Lay wanted to just be left alone.
"He didn't deserve to die the way that he did. He didn't deserve it," she said.
As of Monday evening, the State Attorney's Office did not respond to a request for comment, including whether a hate crime charge would be considered.