Tulsa Man Arrested in Shooting Death of Neighbor
The victim's family said the man had a "history of bigotry" toward them.
— -- An Oklahoma man will be facing a first-degree murder charge in the shooting death of his 37-year-old neighbor, police said, and the family of the victim and one leading advocacy group have suggested that anti-Muslim sentiment could have played a role in the alleged attack.
Stanley "Vernon" Majors, 61, is accused of shooting his next-door neighbor, Khalid Jabara, Friday night, according to the Tulsa Police Department. After shooting Jabara, Majors allegedly pointed his gun at a witness and fled the scene toward his home. Officers located him hiding behind a tree at a library, police said.
Earlier that evening, police responded to a 911 call made by Jabara, but left the scene after they were "unable to locate any criminal activity," police said.
Police said that there had been "many calls to the area that involved Majors acting aggressively towards his neighbors." Majors is currently awaiting trial on an assault with a deadly weapon charge involving Khalid Jabara's mother, Haifa Jabara, stemming from 2015, according to police and the Tulsa District Attorney's Office. He was initially held without bond, but a judge allowed his release three months ago, according to CNN. Majors has pleaded not guilty in that case.
In a family statement, Khalid Jabara's sister, Victoria Jabara Williams, said Majors was someone they "continuously brought to law enforcement's attention." When Khalid Jabara called police the night of his death, he stated that Majors "had a gun" and "was scared for what might happen," Williams said.
"My family lived in fear of this man and his hatred for years," she said, adding that he had 'a history of bigotry against' the family," she said.
"He repeatedly attacked our ethnicity and perceived religion, making racist comments," she continued.
Police said earlier that they have not been able to talk to Majors as he became ill and was transported to the hospital shortly after he was taken into police custody, "so it is difficult for us to determine a motive." However, they said they "have recovered one handgun and ... are not looking for any other suspects at this time." Majors has since been released from the hospital and is currently in jail, police said.
Police said Majors had a protective order against him "that stated that he was supposed to stay a certain number of feet away from the victim’s mother and household."
"The protective order was issued by the Tulsa County District Courts," police said. "The Tulsa Police Department does not determine who can live somewhere and who can’t. We would only take action if someone were to violate that protective order."
Majors has yet to be formally charged. It is not clear if he has obtained a lawyer, the Tulsa District Attorney's Office told ABC News.