Teens Face Possible Hate Crime Charges For Pride Flag Vandalization

June 25, 2025 Melissa Sinaly

Six teens slashed Pride flags near a beloved Atlanta gay bar just days before the end of Pride month.

In the early hours of June 24, a group of teens vandalized Pride flags at the intersection of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue in Atlanta near Blake’s on the Park, a well-known gay bar. The act was caught on surveillance cameras and reported by witnesses. Several teens were seen riding scooters and used knives to slash the flags hung for Pride Month.

Four teens were arrested shortly after the incident. Two 18-year-olds, Logan Matthison and Ahmed Mechkouri, a 17-year-old named Geami McCarroll, and a 16-year-old juvenile from Taylorsville are now facing charges including obstruction, criminal damage to property, conspiracy, and prowling. Police say the group drove in from the Dallas and Cartersville areas specifically to damage the flags. The 16-year-old’s father was also cited for failure to supervise. Two suspects are still at large.

The Atlanta Police Department is investigating the act as a potential hate crime. If prosecutors determine the vandalism was motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias, the teens could face harsher penalties under Georgia’s hate crime law.

Atlanta’s police Sgt. Brandon Hayes said at a news conference: “As far as it being labeled a hate crime, that’s still under investigation.” The incident comes in the final week of Pride Month and just before the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. The rainbow crosswalks at this particular intersection were originally painted in 2015 to honor the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting and later made permanent as a symbol of LGBTQ+ resilience. Destroying flags at this location was an undeniable act of intimidation.

Atlanta Pride condemned the attack as targeted hate and urged full accountability. And as the search continues for the remaining suspects and prosecutors review evidence, the act has sparked renewed concern about anti-LGBTQ+ hostility. But the response from Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community remains clear that we are still here, and we are not backing down.