A 17-year-old high school student has been arrested on hate crime charges in connection with the fatal stabbing of a professional dancer at a gas station in New York City. The teenager, whose name has not been released, was taken into custody on charges of second-degree murder as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon. The incident occurred last weekend when the victim, 28-year-old O’Shae Sibley, who identified as gay, was dancing with his friends to a Beyoncé song while pumping gas at a Brooklyn station.
According to officials, the altercation was captured on security video footage. The video showed the victim and his friends being confronted and harassed by another group, who demanded that Sibley stop dancing. The group used homophobic slurs, derogatory names, and made anti-Black statements. The verbal dispute quickly escalated into a physical altercation that lasted for about four minutes. During the altercation, the suspect stabbed Sibley once in the chest with a sharp object before fleeing the scene in a Toyota Highlander.
Sibley was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries in the early morning hours of July 30. The suspect, who attends a Brooklyn high school, was identified by authorities and subsequently surrendered through his attorney.
The news of Sibley’s tragic death has sparked an outpouring of support from both the LGBTQ+ community and the wider public. Sibley was a well-known dancer in the ballroom community, which primarily consists of LGBTQ+ men of color. Beyoncé herself posted about his death on her website, emphasizing that violence should never be the outcome of self-expression.
Mayor Eric Adams addressed the incident, stating, This is a city where you are free to express yourself, and that expression should never end with any form of violence. A rally in honor of Sibley was held at the location of the stabbing, and a memorial and candlelight vigil organized by the LGBTQ+ community took place to pay tribute to him.
As of now, the suspect has been charged solely, with no immediate plans to charge the others who were in his group. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
