Man charged in fatal hit-and-run outside Jeffery Pub, Chicago police say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man is charged with murder for the deaths of three men outside South Shore's Jeffery Pub gay bar a little more than a week ago, Chicago police announced Tuesday.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown announced Tavis Dunbar, 34, has been charged with three counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Brown said that Dunbar intentionally struck the victims with a speeding car.

RELATED: Only survivor of South Shore hit-and-run that killed 3 outside Jeffery Pub speaks out

Prosecutors said Dubar had reached a speed of 59 miles per hour at the time of impact.

"The accelerator was depressed 99% and the defendant never once touched the brakes prior to impact," said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Danny Hanichak. "The defendant essentially slammed on the gas pedal as he drove drivel into four human beings, brutally killing three of them."

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown outlines charges against a man in a fatal hit-and-run outside a gay bar in the SOuth Shore neighborhood that left three people dead.

Dunbar appeared in court Tuesday, where he was ordered held without bond.

The victims were standing outside the Jeffery Pub in the 7000-block of South Jeffery Boulevard when they were killed, police said.

Carlee McKinney, 21, was seriously injured and Donald Huey, 27-year-old Devonta Vivetter and 23-year-old Jaylen Ausley, who was a recent University of Michigan graduate. Ausley's mother was in the courtroom for the bond hearing.

"Just to hear the story and just to see the person, it just leaves me with the thought of I don't understand why or how you could do something like that to anyone," Nichelle Weathers said.

RELATED: Disturbing video shows moment several struck in deadly Chicago hit-and-run

Authorities were able to determine Dunbar had been inside Jeffery Pub prior to the incident, but he had not been involved in any altercation inside the bar or outside on the street.

Prosecutors said Dunbar turned himself in Monday, and that he had cut his hair. The motive behind the incident is not known, though a witness said someone matching Dunbar's description yelled to the victims "I got something for you" as he left the bar.

"We don't have any evidence to support that this was a hate crime at this time," Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said.

RELATED: South Shore hit-and-run that killed 3 outside Jeffrey Pub was intentional, CPD says

The pub is one of the longest-serving Black gay bars in America and the National Black Justice Coalition is calling for the incident to be investigated as a hate crime.