A man is accused of attacking a “transgender woman” with a sword inside a Pittsburgh hotel around 1 a.m. Thursday.
The incident happened inside the Wyndham Grand Hotel, where the victim, a man reportedly living as a woman, was found covered in blood and calling for help, WTAE reported. report Friday.
Officers made contact with the victim in the hotel lobby and found blood on the floor and walls on the fifth floor. The victim suffered severe lacerations to his hands and later drove himself to the hospital.
The witness told authorities that she, the victim and the suspect were in the city for the Anthrocon convention, “Pittsburgh’s premier furry convention.” Website.
The so-called “furries” appear to be humans dressed as animals. “Join us each summer for our annual convention celebrating anthropomorphism – human-like animal characters that have fascinated people since the dawn of the human imagination,” the website says.
“We are a group of artists, animators, writers, costumers, puppeteers and general fans who enjoy cartoon animals and their friends,” it continued.
The WTAE report details the incident as follows:
According to the witness, Jake O’Leary, 26, of Greensville, South Carolina, called them and asked them to come to Pittsburgh a day earlier than originally planned, and said they could stay with him overnight until their hotel was ready.
The group met in a room at the Wyndham Grand and after going to bed, O’Leary allegedly got up, grabbed a sword and began brandishing it.
CBS News Quote Victims testified that O’Leary “yelled something along the lines of ‘Allah disapproves’ before brandishing the sword.”
According to the victims, once everyone had gone to bed, O’Leary returned brandishing the sword and yelling something to the effect of “Allah disapproves.” He then began brandishing the sword at the other occupants of the room and physically harming them.
One victim suffered a deep gash over an inch long from pinky to ring finger on his right hand, with tissue damage down to the bone. The victim was able to transport himself to hospital.
Police said the victim tried to defend himself but was hit several times. The suspect also suffered injuries to his face during the altercation. Authorities later charged him with aggravated assault.
In 2021, a Missouri woman was arrested for allegedly killing her boyfriend with a sword on Christmas Eve, and in 2023, a sword-wielding suspect was accused of chopping off a man’s hand in Riverside, California, Breitbart News reported.
