Man charged in shooting shouldn’t have been released | READER COMMENTARY

I am truly amazed that Brian Delen was “released on his own recognizance” by a Harford County judge after he was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Meghan Riley Lewis, a transgender woman, in Bel Air, in what could be construed as a hate crime (“Man charged with shooting woman in Bel Air condo parking lot Wednesday; LGBTQ+ community mourns,” Dec. 28).  Delen stated that the argument arose after he had allegedly misgendered the victim during a food delivery.  Also, the public defender said that Delen had a good case for self defense.  Really?  He had a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol against an unarmed person.  All he had to do was to drive away.  Did an unarmed person really place Delen’s life in peril?  Did the victim have a gun as well?

What also amazed me was that Mr. Delen was ordered to surrender his firearms.  I would think that the police would turn Delen’s residence upside down to find all firearms and certainly not trust Delen to do so of his own accord. I am dumbfounded!

— George Hammerbacher, Baltimore