"We are a collective of Ryan's close friends, reeling from a brutal loss. We are asking for your help on behalf of his partner in easing the burden and stress of this horrifying situation so that we can have space and time to grieve and remember Ryan. Immediate needs are to offset the costs of working-class people taking time off of work to properly mourn," the fundraiser's description included. "We hope you may find his thoughts on mutual aid, his works of advocacy, and understand that his radical principles of community care, justice, and dismantling an individualized profit-centered way of life are worth carrying forward."
His friends told the Gothamist that Carson would have empathized with his murderer. "I'm absolutely positive that he would immediately see that this was a person who was suffering from a lack of resources in our community," said state assemblywoman Emily Gallagher. Melissa Lozada-Oliva justified the fundraiser saying, she knows he would have wanted people to use his death as a means to talk about structural wrongs in the city and that they were guessing he'd probably be okay with the collective vacation fund too.
Despite raking in more than their target, some donors are chipping in just for the privilege of leaving scathing comments.
A donor said: "I don't condone senseless crime but the irony is rich. Another hipster transplant moving into Brooklyn acting as if they are from that area. Also reading online that the victim was an active participant in the Summer of Love 2020 BLM riots is, well, IRONIC. Now that cops have taken a hands-off approach to crime fighting, your mustaches & PBRs are no match for the marauders walking around Bed Stuy, East NY, Brownsville and South Billyburg. Unfortunately, Ryan while out protesting, the police allegedly, according to online reports, actually could have used the ACAB (all cops are bastards) folks."
"With all due respect, liberalism dies a natural Darwinistic death! Abortion removes terrible thoughts from existence! Homosexuality removes you from the gene pool! If this comment is removed, I will sue GoFundMe and each individual who receives this money," another donor, who donated $5, said.
Other $5-donor highlights included:
- "It's abhorrent for someone to use the MURDER (not "loss" or "tragedy") of her boyfriend, and his life's work and reputation, to manipulate people to give her loads of cash. His body was barely even cold."
- "I donated $5 because it was the minimum but I wanted to say this: you people are disgusting, depraved ghouls for profiting off of this man's death."
GRAPHIC WARNING: NY Post obtains and releases video showing fatal stabbing of Leftist activist Ryan Carson in front of girlfriend on NYC street late-night after wedding.
1. Always carry a gun
2. Always keep distance between yourself and a potential threat
Such a senseless… pic.twitter.com/tpNyaJk2Ke
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) October 3, 2023
Carson was stabbed to death at 3:50 a.m. on October 2 in the Bedfort-Stuyvesant neighborhood while he and his girlfriend were returning from a wedding they attended in Long Island. In the video that captured the crime, a hooded young man passed by them and proceeded to kick over parked mopeds and scooters. As the couple started to leave, the assailant turned his rage on Carson, asking, "What the f*** are you looking at? I'll kill you!" The latter was stabbed multiple times, including a fatal strike to his heart.
Three days later, New York cops arrested 18-year-old Brian Dowling, who lives near the crime scene on Lafayette Avenue near Malcolm X Boulevard. He was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon after the police found a sweatshirt matching the one that appears in the security camera video of the murder, along with a knife, when they searched his apartment. (Related: Crime City: New York City records highest number of felony crimes in 16 years.)
This was not the first time he got involved in a violent attack. He'd previously received summonses for disorderly conduct. He also allegedly smashed items in his girlfriend's apartment. His aunt described him as mentally disturbed in a 911 call.
Experts: Carson's gf could not point to the murderer from a photo lineup
According to legal experts, the fact that Morales was unable to pick her boyfriend's suspected killer from a photo lineup could potentially hurt the case. She actually picked a different person, Brooklyn prosecutors said during Dowling's arraignment last week.
Meanwhile, two witnesses positively identified Dowling as the killer and said he was the person seen stabbing the leftist in the video of the violent attack. Morales was said to be traumatized by the slaying and has trouble remembering basic details about the incident. Ex-Brooklyn prosecutor Julie Rendelman said that her trouble identifying Dowling is something the defense could potentially raise as reasonable doubt. But she also pointed out "the stabbing is caught on video and the defendant’s face is fairly clear." She added that it may likely be argued by the prosecution that the witness' trauma in watching her boyfriend be stabbed before her eyes impacted her ability to identify the defendant.
Dowling is currently facing a second-degree murder charge.
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