A suspect was arrested and charged in connection with the July 29 fatal stabbing of O’Shae Sibley, an out gay man who was allegedly confronted while voguing at a Mobil gas station in Brooklyn.
The 17-year-old suspect, whose name has not been released, was charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime as well as criminal possession of a weapon. Joseph Kenny, an assistant chief in the NYPD’s detective bureau, joined Mayor Eric Adams at a press conference on Aug. 5 to discuss the arrest.
The suspect allegedly voiced anti-gay and anti-Black statements towards Sibley and demanded that he and his friends stop dancing, according to the NYPD, and a four-minute video shows the teen fatally stabbing Sibley one time, which damaged the heart, Kenny said. The suspect then fled in a Toyota Highlander.
Adams described the incident as “clearly a hate crime.”
“This is a city where you are free to express yourself,” Mr. Adams said. “And that expression should never end with any form of violence.”
The city lawmaker who represents the district, Republican Inna Vernikov, announced on Twitter Aug. 4 that the suspect had turned himself in at the 61st Precinct.
The arrest came just hours before community members gathered at the site of Sibley’s death at 1921 Coney Island Avenue to remember the late dancer. Sibley’s death has drawn widespread attention — including from Beyoncé, who posted a tribute to him on her website. Sibley was said to be listening to Beyoncé at the time of the fatal stabbing.
A GoFundMe page dedicated to raising money for Sibley’s funeral has generated more than $63,000.
