An Oregon man was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison this week for the near-fatal assault of a gay man in 2021.

Then-22-year-old Daniel McGee was charged with a federal hate crime in November 2021 after authorities said he savagely beat a gay man he met via Grindr the previous July.

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According to local CBS affiliate KOIN, court documents indicate McGee used the app to target his victim, claiming he was only 18 and insisting the two meet alone. The two agreed to meet at the victim’s apartment on July 5, 2021, and once there, McGee beat the man in the head with a tire thumper — a wooden club similar to a billy club — and attempted to gouge out his eyes with his hands, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

KOIN reports that multiple people called 911, telling dispatchers they could hear someone screaming for help.

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When police arrived at the scene, they reportedly found the victim suffering from multiple life-threatening injuries. According to KOIN, the victim sustained multiple lacerations to his head, and a large portion of his scalp was missing.

McGee told investigators that he’d gone to the apartment because “demons would be there” and he wanted to “get rid of” the victim. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, investigators found that McGee had been planning the assault for weeks, searching for graphic anti-gay material — including videos of anti-gay assaults — on the internet and purchasing the weapon and other materials on Amazon. KOIN reports that he also researched ways to dispose of a body and get away with murder.

In an affidavit, McGee’s father said his son is autistic, according to USA Today.

While KOIN reports that authorities found both men at the victim’s apartment when they arrived on July 5, 2021, press releases from the U.S. Attorney’s office indicate McGee was arrested and charged with a federal hate crime involving an attempt to kill on November 18, 2021.

McGee pleaded guilty in November 2025. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.

“The right to live safely in one’s community is a fundamental civil right. The District of Oregon remains committed to combating hate crimes and protecting that right for all,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford said in a March 3 statement, following the sentencing. “While no conviction can undo the harm caused, we hope this sentence will bring some measure of justice to the victim and our community.”

In the same release, acting FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Matt Torres noted that hate crimes impact entire communities in addition to victims. “The FBI works together with our partners to prevent hate crimes from impacting our communities, and every attack on someone because of who and what they are deserves to be acted on by the full extent of the law,” Torres said.

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