Hate crime charges against 5 teens in Rehoboth Beach incident

Citizen groups are speaking out after police charged five teenagers with hate crimes in Rehoboth Beach on Saturday.

Late one night, five teenagers approached three women and suggested that “their behavior in public was inappropriate,” police said in a news release. One of the teens fired an airsoft gun at the women before they all got into a car and left the area, police said.

“The only reason the suspects stopped to confront the victims was because of their perception of (the victims') sexual orientation,” the press release said.

CAMP Rehoboth, a nonprofit organization based near the incident site, and joint local nonprofits Speak Out Against Hate and Sussex Pride have released statements regarding the incident.

“Hate crimes of any kind are not just attacks on individuals; they are attacks on the very fabric of our common humanity,” CAMP Rehoboth's statement said. “We want to make it clear that such acts of hatred and violence have no place in our community. The safety and well-being of every person, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, is our top priority.”