Three suspects have been arrested in connection with a series of attacks on gay men outside the San Diego LGBT Pride festival on July 29, in what police are classifying as hate crimes.

James Allen Carroll, 24, was arrested on the morning of Aug. 1 on two felony counts of suspicion of attempted murder and multiple felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Lyonn Tatum, 18, and a 16-year-old white male suspect were also taken into custody the same day, SDPD media services manager Mónica Muñoz said. Tatum was arrested in the Point Loma area in the afternoon and the 16-year-old was arrested in the downtown area that evening, Muñoz said. Since the teenager is a juvenile, the SDPD has not released his name.

All three suspects will be charged with the same crimes – two counts of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. The SDPD said the determination has not yet been made as to whether the juvenile will be charged as an adult. Muñoz said the charges for the 16-year-old may change if they can’t charge him as an adult, but that will be determined by the District Attorney’s Office.

The attempted murder counts will carry the hate crime enhancement charge, police said.

Muñoz said the three males were the only suspects at this point of the investigation, which is still open.

Six gay men were attacked with baseball bats in five separate incidences as they were walking from the San Diego LGBT Gay Pride festival around 10:45 p.m. last Saturday. The attacks took place over the course of several minutes as the six men walked along a path behind the lawn bowling area in Redwood Circle in Balboa Park, east of Sixth Avenue and north of Laurel Street.

Three white males confronted the victims with at least two baseball bats. According to police reports, the attackers made anti-gay remarks before a fight broke out in which the attackers proceeded to beat the men with the bats. One victim was stabbed in the back with a sharp object, most likely a knife, police said.

“We believe it wasn’t a random attack but it’s a planned assault by these people,” San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne said at a July 31 press conference at City Hall. “We are absolutely convinced that we’ll be able to solve this crime in a short amount of time. We’re working diligently on this case.”

The SDPD said the victims have nonfatal injuries that range from a superficial stab wound to severe head trauma. SDPD Capt. Chris Ball said one victim, who suffered a fractured skull and other facial injuries, is currently in Mercy Hospital’s ICU. He said a tracheotomy was performed on the victim to assist him with breathing and the victim may undergo reconstructive surgery.

Lieutenant Mike Angus, a lead investigator on the case, said there were at least four witnesses to the crime.

“It was late at night and it was dark and then they were walking off into an area that wasn’t as well lit as some of the other areas,” he said. “That’s probably in part why these guys were waiting in that area, is my assumption at this point, is because they figured there might be some foot traffic coming down here in this darker area where they were less likely to be seen assaulting people.”

Three of the victims came forward on the evening of the attack, and three others have subsequently come forward.

Initially the police department had very little information to work with, but a citizen called in with a tip on July 30 that led to Carroll’s arrest, Ball said.

“As a result of that information, we were able to obtain a search warrant to look for evidence,” he said. “… We found evidence that links items in this apartment to the crime scene.”

Carroll was one of three people questioned after a Banker’s Hill apartment was searched on the 2100 block of First Avenue during the evening of July 31, and he was arrested early the next morning. Ball said a baseball bat was recovered by the investigators at the apartment.

Muñoz said Carroll was not a resident at the First Avenue apartment, and said investigators found evidence Tatum was also staying at that address.

Carroll and Tatum are being held in the downtown jail pending an Aug. 3 arraignment. Carroll previously pleaded guilty to felony burglary in April in San Diego and was sentenced to three years’ probation. He was convicted of a similar crime last year in Texas. The 16-year-old is being held in Juvenile Hall.

The suspects are part of a group called the Lowlifes, which the SDPD estimates has as many as 50 members, Ball said.

“We have not spent a lot of time at this point trying to identify who the Lowlifes are or what they’re all about,” he said. “That will certainly be part of our investigation at some point.”

City Attorney Mike Aguirre said the attack is a serious felony that will be prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Office, and the City Attorney’s Office will assist if any civil actions are brought forward.

“We are united as one city government to make sure that these threats to our community are not successful, and that those who have represented the threats are brought to justice immediately,” Aguirre said.

Mayor Jerry Sanders called the crime “shameful” and said he did not believe the attack represents the attitudes of San Diegans.

“Clearly these animals wanted to push these men back into the closet,” he said at the July 31 press conference.

“I have a few choice words for the criminals who committed this vicious attack – and for any others who are contemplating perpetrating such a crime: You are cowards,” he said. “Make no mistake about it; if you commit such a crime, we will do everything within our power to catch you.”

District 3 Councilmember Toni Atkins thanked the SDPD for moving so “swiftly and decisively” to apprehend the attackers and bring them to justice.

“Today the LGBT community can breathe a bit more easily knowing that this predator is off the streets,” Atkins said at an Aug. 1 press conference. “As the investigation has progressed, we have learned how truly despicable this crime was. Hunting for gay people to bash, lying in wait in the bushes for people to leave the festival – it’s hard to imagine anything lower.”

In response to the attacks, The Center and San Diego Pride will host a rally on Friday, Aug. 4, at 5:30 p.m. at The Center, located at 3909 Centre St. in Hillcrest. State Senator Christine Kehoe and Atkins will be two of the featured speakers.

“It’s a sad day for any community when it’s a target of violence and hate based on orientation, gender, race or ethnicity,” Sean Wherley said, The Center’s public policy director. “We appreciate the strong support from within government and we hope that the community will join us in standing up to this type of hate and against this type of violence.”

Anyone with information about this crime has been asked to call (619) 531-2000 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-TIPS.