Kansas City man sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for shooting teen in hate crime
A 25-year-old Kansas City man has been sentenced in federal court to nearly 22 years in prison for the attempted murder of a teen because of the victim’s sexual orientation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri announced.
U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes sentenced 25-year-old Malachi Robinson Thursday to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole for the hate crime.
Robinson pleaded guilty in June to violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act after admitting to luring his then-16-year-old victim — identified in court documents as “M.S.” — into a wooded area to shoot him in 2019.
After a chance meeting at the Kansas City Public Library, Robinson and the victim talked over Facebook Messenger before meeting outside the library on May 29, 2019, federal prosecutors said.
The two began to walk around Swope Park, where Robinson suggested they go into a secluded area under the guise of engaging in a sex act, while writing separately to his girlfriend that he “might shoot the boy.”
Once they entered a nearby wooded area, M.S. changed his mind and attempted to leave when Robinson pulled out his pistol and shot the victim eight times.
M.S. was able to leave the area before collapsing by a nearby apartment building, where a bystander called 911.
Prosecutors say M.S., who was transported to the hospital that day in critical condition, continues to suffer long term effects. The victim has undergone several surgeries and physical therapy, and bullets still remain inside him.
After the shooting, Robinson allegedly told others he shot the victim because of his sexual orientation.
“Bias motivated misconduct has no place in our country, and the Justice Department is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to vigorously pursue justice for victims targeted because of their sexual orientation,” wrote Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a release from prosecutors.
FBI hate crime data released last month shows that Missouri reported its highest ever number of hate crimes in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available.
Law enforcement agencies in Missouri reported 194 hate crimes to the FBI in 2021, surpassing the state’s previous record of 167 hate crimes in 1993. Of these, more than half were motivated by racial bias, according to an analysis by The Star.
Kansas City reported 39 hate crimes in 2021, by far the largest number of any jurisdiction in the state. By comparison, the city of St. Louis only reported nine.
Star reporter Natalie Wallington contributed.