The man accused of slashing another man to death and seriously wounding a second victim at the House of Mercy homeless shelter on Ormond Street has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder.
Nathaniel Jeanpierre III was taken into custody Sunday night after he allegedly killed 68-year-old Michael Neary and wounded a man in his 20s with a machete. Both men were asleep in their beds at the time, and were guests of the shelter as was Jeanpierre.
The House of Mercy remains closed for now as police investigate. A temporary shelter has been opened for them at Martin Luther King Park in Rochester, and some have gone to the Open Door Mission, another homeless shelter across town.
Open Door Mission Executive Director Anna Valeria-Iseman said the accused killer has often been a guest in her shelter. She says staff is rethinking security measures, but that any homeless shelter must walk a narrow line between welcoming the people they want to help and providing for their safety.