DETROIT (WXYZ) — A 26-year-old man faces multiple hate crime charges after allegedly attacking two LGBTQ+ couples waiting for their car outside MGM Grand Detroit.
William Wilson has been charged with four counts of hate crime following the incident that occurred early Sunday morning.
Watch the video report below:
"We didn't go there for any type of issues. We were all sober. We just went there to get our car," Chelsi Way said.
Way was waiting for her car with her wife Celia Haueter, as well as Haueter's brother David Supel and his fiancé, when two men approached them.
"Celia was like 'why don't you just leave us alone. Leave us the F alone.' And that's when he hit her the first time and she fell. She was trying to get back up and that's when he hit her again," Way said.
“He’s swinging left and right — haymakers. And I’m just trying to block her from getting hit and I got hit a couple times, but that’s nothing compared to my sister’s face," David Supel said.
Haueter says she doesn't remember much from that night after being knocked unconscious.
"My physical wounds are starting to heal, but I have a severe concussion," Haueter said.
The attack has left her afraid to leave her home.
“I feel since he’s been let out, I don’t know what his next. I hope that he has no ulterior motive. I just want nothing else to happen," she said.
According to court records, Wilson was arraigned on July 16 and released on bond. We reached out to his attorney, but we are still waiting to hear back.
The prosecutor's office is considering this a hate crime because Wilson allegedly intentionally acted to cause harm to the victims because of their perceived sexual orientation.
Both women say they're going to be OK but hope Wilson is held accountable. They also believe MGM should bear some responsibility.
"We feel like had the staff recognized that there was going to be an issue, this would've never happened because we could've had a severely different outcome and she could be dead," Way said. “If security is there, I don’t know what they’re there for, maybe to protect MGM, but they’re not there to protect the people.”
MGM declined to provide a written statement, but a spokesperson said by phone that they are cooperating with police.
“I’m dumbfounded, lost, you know. As a gay man, people question your masculinity all the time, so it’s like with this one, I’m questioning a lot. I’m dumbfounded on how that could happen to us," David Supel said.
Wilson's next court hearing is scheduled for July 24.
—————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
