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| Oklahoma Man Is Charged With Killing Lebanese-American Neighbor | Oklahoma Man Is Charged With Killing Lebanese-American Neighbor |
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| He called the family “dirty Arabs” and tried to run over the mother with a car, the authorities said. An Oklahoma man’s animosity toward the Lebanese-American family living next door, according to court records, took a fatal turn this month when he shot one of the sons on the porch of their house in Tulsa. | |
| The man, Vernon Majors, 61, was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in the killing of his neighbor, Khalid Jabara, 37, on Aug. 12, according to a statement by the district attorney, Steve Kunzweiler. | The man, Vernon Majors, 61, was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in the killing of his neighbor, Khalid Jabara, 37, on Aug. 12, according to a statement by the district attorney, Steve Kunzweiler. |
| Mr. Majors, who had recently been released on bond after being suspected of hitting Mr. Jabara’s mother with a car, was also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, threatening an act of violence and malicious intimidation or harassment — the last count a misdemeanor reflecting the years of racism and violence that the authorities say has pervaded the stretch of grass connecting their yards. | |
| Rebecca Abou-Chedid, a friend who is serving as a spokeswoman for Jabara family, said Mr. Jabara’s death had devastated the tight-knit Lebanese community in Tulsa. | Rebecca Abou-Chedid, a friend who is serving as a spokeswoman for Jabara family, said Mr. Jabara’s death had devastated the tight-knit Lebanese community in Tulsa. |
| “From a larger community’s perspective, what they see is a 37-year-old man shot and killed by a man who called them ‘dirty Arab,’” Ms. Abou-Chedid said in a telephone interview. “There is no nuance. When people are using ethnic and racial slurs, this isn’t just people being sensitive about it, but that they should be taken seriously.” | “From a larger community’s perspective, what they see is a 37-year-old man shot and killed by a man who called them ‘dirty Arab,’” Ms. Abou-Chedid said in a telephone interview. “There is no nuance. When people are using ethnic and racial slurs, this isn’t just people being sensitive about it, but that they should be taken seriously.” |
| Marvin Lizama, Mr. Majors’s lawyer for the earlier case, said in an email on Tuesday that he had no comment on the new charges. | Marvin Lizama, Mr. Majors’s lawyer for the earlier case, said in an email on Tuesday that he had no comment on the new charges. |
| St. Antony Orthodox Christian Church, where Mr. Jabara’s funeral was held last Thursday, posted a smiling photograph of him on its website, mourning the “tragedy” of his killing. | |
| “Those of us at St. Antony will always remember the young man who grew up in our parish,” the announcement said. “Khalid had a huge heart.” | “Those of us at St. Antony will always remember the young man who grew up in our parish,” the announcement said. “Khalid had a huge heart.” |
| The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee said that Mr. Jabara was clearly targeted because of his ethnicity. “The unfortunate murder of Jabara is a reflection of the impact and power of hateful rhetoric in politics and the society at large,” the group said, adding that allowing such to continue “will lead to additional hate crimes against minority and immigrant communities.” | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee said that Mr. Jabara was clearly targeted because of his ethnicity. “The unfortunate murder of Jabara is a reflection of the impact and power of hateful rhetoric in politics and the society at large,” the group said, adding that allowing such to continue “will lead to additional hate crimes against minority and immigrant communities.” |
| News of Mr. Jabara’s death found a home on social media with the trending #justice4khalid, where it was given broader context within the national discussion on race and violence. | News of Mr. Jabara’s death found a home on social media with the trending #justice4khalid, where it was given broader context within the national discussion on race and violence. |
| Nearly 3.6 million Americans trace their roots to an Arab country, many with ancestral ties to Lebanon, according to the Arab American Institute. While Oklahoma is not among the states with large Arab-American populations, it does have a close-knit Lebanese-American community in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Ms. Abou-Chedid, a lawyer and former employee of the institute, said. | Nearly 3.6 million Americans trace their roots to an Arab country, many with ancestral ties to Lebanon, according to the Arab American Institute. While Oklahoma is not among the states with large Arab-American populations, it does have a close-knit Lebanese-American community in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Ms. Abou-Chedid, a lawyer and former employee of the institute, said. |
| Like others in Tulsa, the Jabara family, who are Orthodox Christians, can trace their roots back to a village in southern Lebanon called Marjayoun, which families fled to escape war. | Like others in Tulsa, the Jabara family, who are Orthodox Christians, can trace their roots back to a village in southern Lebanon called Marjayoun, which families fled to escape war. |
| Mr. Jabara’s parents moved with Khalid and his older sister Victoria in 1983 and settled in the United States, where his younger brother Rami was born, Ms. Abou-Chedid said. | Mr. Jabara’s parents moved with Khalid and his older sister Victoria in 1983 and settled in the United States, where his younger brother Rami was born, Ms. Abou-Chedid said. |
| While his siblings have moved away, Mr. Jabara had stayed to help with his parents’ catering business and medical care. | While his siblings have moved away, Mr. Jabara had stayed to help with his parents’ catering business and medical care. |
| “Khalid’s heart was big,” his sister Victoria Jabara Williams said in a Facebook post. “He cared for our entire family, our friends and people he didn’t even know.” | “Khalid’s heart was big,” his sister Victoria Jabara Williams said in a Facebook post. “He cared for our entire family, our friends and people he didn’t even know.” |
| Mr. Majors, also known as Stanley Vernon Majors, moved next door to the Jabara family in 2011, Ms. Abou-Chedid said. While it was not immediately clear when the troubles started, family and court records document a history of animosity and of calls to the police to report racial slurs, harassment and threats by Mr. Majors. | Mr. Majors, also known as Stanley Vernon Majors, moved next door to the Jabara family in 2011, Ms. Abou-Chedid said. While it was not immediately clear when the troubles started, family and court records document a history of animosity and of calls to the police to report racial slurs, harassment and threats by Mr. Majors. |
| In 2013, Mr. Jabara’s mother, Haifa, took out a protective order against Mr. Majors, which court records show that he violated. In September 2015, Mr. Majors rammed Ms. Jabara with his car, and he was charged with assault and battery, according to the documents. | In 2013, Mr. Jabara’s mother, Haifa, took out a protective order against Mr. Majors, which court records show that he violated. In September 2015, Mr. Majors rammed Ms. Jabara with his car, and he was charged with assault and battery, according to the documents. |
| Ms. Jabara had broken bones and a collapsed lung, the family said. | Ms. Jabara had broken bones and a collapsed lung, the family said. |
| In May 2016, the district attorney’s office tried to keep Mr. Majors in jail to await trial, citing his “wanton disregard for the life of the victim and the safety of the public.” | In May 2016, the district attorney’s office tried to keep Mr. Majors in jail to await trial, citing his “wanton disregard for the life of the victim and the safety of the public.” |
| Mr. Majors, however, was able to make bail and was released. | Mr. Majors, however, was able to make bail and was released. |
| According to the police and Ms. Abou-Chedid, Mr. Jabara was home with his father on Aug. 12 when he called the police out of fear of Mr. Majors. Officer Leland Ashley said the police received a call from the Jabara house saying that Mr. Majors had banged on a window. Ms. Williams said her brother had called the police to report that Mr. Majors had a gun. | According to the police and Ms. Abou-Chedid, Mr. Jabara was home with his father on Aug. 12 when he called the police out of fear of Mr. Majors. Officer Leland Ashley said the police received a call from the Jabara house saying that Mr. Majors had banged on a window. Ms. Williams said her brother had called the police to report that Mr. Majors had a gun. |
| The police responded but left without taking any action. Then, just before 7 p.m., Officer Ashley said, a neighbor reported that there had been a shooting. Mr. Jabara was taken to the hospital, where he died of his wounds. | The police responded but left without taking any action. Then, just before 7 p.m., Officer Ashley said, a neighbor reported that there had been a shooting. Mr. Jabara was taken to the hospital, where he died of his wounds. |
| Mr. Majors was arrested, hiding near a library, about 11 p.m., the officer said. | Mr. Majors was arrested, hiding near a library, about 11 p.m., the officer said. |
| Mr. Kunzweiler, the district attorney, said in an emailed statement before announcing the charges that the family “did everything they were supposed to do and the system failed them.” | Mr. Kunzweiler, the district attorney, said in an emailed statement before announcing the charges that the family “did everything they were supposed to do and the system failed them.” |
| Ms. Williams said her family had lived “in fear of this man and his hatred for years.” | Ms. Williams said her family had lived “in fear of this man and his hatred for years.” |
| “He should not have been released without monitoring,” she wrote. “Yet he was released and put back next door to us, the family he assaulted just months before. This is troubling at any time, but profoundly disturbing given the current climate of our country and the increase nationally in cases of hate crimes.” | “He should not have been released without monitoring,” she wrote. “Yet he was released and put back next door to us, the family he assaulted just months before. This is troubling at any time, but profoundly disturbing given the current climate of our country and the increase nationally in cases of hate crimes.” |