A North Carolina man is in critical condition following an attack in the early morning hours of Nov. 9 in a downtown Greensboro, N.C., hotel.
Police say Garry Joseph Gupton, 26, attacked Stephen Patrick White, 46, and set him on fire, reports QNotes. White has reportedly suffered burns over 52 percent of his body.
Police say Gupton intended to kill White, who he met at a local gay bar.
Greensboro police say an employee at the Battleground Inn hotel called 911 after hearing a man screaming at the hotel at the same time a fire alarm was activated.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Police and firefighters responded to the hotel at about 4:30 a.m.
Gupton is being held under $150,000 secured bond and is charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill.
Sources close to the victim tell QNotes the two met at a local gay bar, and when they left “everything seemed normal” and friendly.
White was reportedly found naked, robbed and beaten, in addition to his life-threatening injuries from the fire. He remains in critical condition in a Winston-Salem hospital.
The Chemistry Nighclub has organized a benefit for White on Saturday, Nov. 15. — QNotes has the details.