In the early hours of the morning on September 19, Barry Washington Jr., an unarmed, 22-year-old Black man, was shot dead in front of the Capitol nightclub in Bend, Oregon. Ian Cranston, a 27-year-old white man, killed Washington after he reportedly complimented Cranston's girlfriend inside the club.

Cranston was arrested at the scene but posted bail hours later. On September 30, nearly a week and a half after the initial arrest, police arrested Cranston again at his home. He was indicted with six charges for the murder of Washington, with no bail available.

Allie Butler, Cranston's girlfriend, provided video evidence of the shooting to the Central Oregon Daily News. With her permission, the Daily News published the video to the internet, sparking even more outrage among Bend citizens, who accused her of using her white privilege to insight a lynch mob.

"You are not a victim," activist and co-founder of the Central Oregon Diversity project, Kerstin Arias, tweeted concerning Butler's response to the murder. "You laughed and found pleasure in the killing of a Black man you harassed, antagonized, and called N***** as your BF shot and killed that young man."

Cranston's attorney argues that the shooting was an act of self-defense, pointing to the video as evidence that a physical altercation had broken out between the two men. However, the video shows only mild shoving before the sound of the fatal gunshot. The fact that Washington was unarmed leaves even more holes in Cranston's story.

"He followed him outside, walked up to him and shot him in the stomach, walked across the street, and watched him bleed out," says Washington's aunt Valencia Roberson.

Citizens of Bend are now calling on investigators to consider the possibility that the shooting was racially motivated. In a statement to the public, District Attorney John Hummel addressed concerns that the murder was a hate crime, saying, "Our country has a disgraceful history of denigrating, prosecuting and lynching Black men for talking to white women. Over the last week, literally hundreds of people called and emailed me to remind me of this history. There is a reckoning with race that needs to happen in Central Oregon, and it needs to happen now."

Despite these statements, Hummel informed the SGN that no formal charges regarding a racially motivated attack have been made against Cranston at this time. "The hate crime aspect of the case is still an open investigation. We do not have evidence at the time to suspect that the crime was due in part to Mr. Washington's race, but we are still investigating that," he said on Monday, October 4.

When asked whether Butler will face charges for instigation, Hummel responded, "No, there is no evidence that she has committed a crime. A lot of people in the community have expressed concern about things she did. They don't like her attitude, but it is not a crime to have a bad attitude."

Cranston's attorney remains adamant that race had nothing to do with the attack and has publicly blamed Hummel for "distorting facts" about the case. "When this case goes to trial, it will provide another example of why in this country cases are decided based on the evidence presented in court, not press conferences by politicians," attorney Kevin Sali said in a written statement.

Despite the comments made by Sali, Hummel's statement was less about "distorting facts" and more about bringing them to light. Often residents of the Pacific Northwest fail to acknowledge their racist history and the privilege that has come along with it. Whether or not Cranston had direct intent to kill Washington based on his race, the socialization and culture of the Pacific Northwest led to an unconscious racial bias that continues to motivate hate crimes against Black people.

Oregon has a history of unfair laws established by the courts to oppress Black Americans and prevent them from taking up space in the state. "Lash Laws" passed in 1844 legally declared that any Black citizens living in Oregon Country should be whipped twice a year until they decided to leave the state. When Oregon became a state in 1859, it was the only one with a racial exclusion law written into its constitution, barring Black people from taking up legal residency.

In a state with a history and culture of excluding Black people, many wonder what will count as "evidence" that the murder of Washington was racially motivated. Is a history of Black men facing lynch mobs and brutal murders after interacting with white women not enough to indicate that this is already a familiar story? The ruling of the case, and any sufficient evidence brought forward, will answer the question. Are racially charged murders only the acts of avowed, hateful extremists, or should dangerous implicit biases held by white moderates can be taken just as seriously?

As for now, police are continuing their investigation, and Cranston remains in jail without bail. "Ian Cranston is in custody for murder among other charges, right now he is being held without bail. At some point in the future, there might be a bail hearing held." Hummel told SGN.

Friends and family are still mourning the loss of Washington, who his aunt described as "a very kind-hearted, big Teddy Bear kind of guy." A memorial has been set up outside the nightclub where friends, family, and heartbroken community members have paid respects to the man described as a "beautiful soul" taken far too early. Though broken-hearted, the people who once formed Washington's support system continue to call on the community of Bend to obtain justice for him. "We are not going to stop until there is justice for Barry Washington. Period." said friend Ryan Brown.