Benicia Ciara, TMDN
A night that was supposed to end in celebration turned into a violent, traumatic nightmare for two LGBTQIA+ couples outside the MGM Grand Casino in downtown Detroit.
The attacker has now been charged as a hate crime, and the victims say the casino’s lack of response could have cost someone their life.
Chelsi Way stood alongside their wife, Celia, waiting for their valet car around 1:00 a.m. after attending a concert on Sunday, 2025. What unfolded next left Celia unconscious, battered, and hospitalized.
“We were just trying to go home. Then he pulled out his phone, hit me and my wife in the face with it, and started calling me slurs… that’s when it all escalated,” said Chelsi.
The man responsible, later identified as William James Wilson, was visibly intoxicated and began antagonizing the couple with slurs before attacking them physically. Celia was punched in the face, knocked to the ground, and then hit again multiple times while unconscious. Injuries show she is healing from a severe concussion, facial injuries requiring stitches, and is now showing signs of emotional decline.
“The doctor said if she hit her head just a little harder, her brain could’ve severed from her spine,” Chelsi explained. “She could’ve died.”
What’s equally alarming is the alleged lack of response from MGM security staff, despite Chelsi’s brother Zac Chearhart warning valet staff.
“There were 10 to 12 employees standing outside. No one helped. Not even after the fact. They just brought out a rolling [office] chair and an ice pack.”
Chelsi, a former Detroit Fire Department employee during COVID, said the incident reawakened PTSD.
After the attack, the suspect, Wilson, attempted to flee, but Chelsi chased him for three miles, keeping him in sight until Detroit police intervened.
William James Wilson has since been charged with:
• Aggravated assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder
• Two counts of assault and/or battery
• Four counts of hate crimes
Now, with hospital visits mounting and trauma settling in, Chelsi and their family aren’t just calling for justice in the courtroom—they’re demanding systemic change.
They want MGM Grand held accountable. They want visible, trained, responsive security.
We reached out to MGM and the director of communications referred us to Detroit police.
As Celia recovers from the physical wounds, the emotional scars remain. And for Chelsi, speaking out is more than personal—it’s a warning, a call to action, and a plea for accountability.
