At a preliminary hearing during the week of 18 October, prosecutors claimed the motivation for the crime was homophobia. “He made it known to his stepfather that he did not approve of that person coming into their house … that their house was a house of God,” Assistant Prosecutor Dana Anton told the judge.
According to news outlet nj.com, it is alleged that 23-year-old Christian A. Smith, of Philadelphia, killed Dennis McKenzie at the age of 43 on 9 October in Woolwich Township.
Anton claimed that an argument quickly escalated between the two, resulting in Smith using a homophobic slur. McKenzie then reportedly took a swing at Smith before the latter used a gun from his waistband to shoot him three times.