Dancer killed while dancing at petrol station in 'homophobic hate crime'
A dancer was fatally stabbed in a suspected homophobic attack after performing a dance routine to Beyonce's hit "renaissance" at a gas station.
O'Shae Sibley, 28, who has been described as a "cherished and devoted" dancer was allegedly attacked by a group of men while performing a routine in the street at the gas station in Coney Island Saturday night, according to a friend.
No arrests have currently been made and his attacker remains at large. The suspected killer, who is said to be Muslim, allegedly told O'Shae and his friends that he was offended because they had been dancing shirtless in their swimming trunks, sources previously said.
The alleged attack is being treated as a possible hate crime. His friend, Otis Pena, who was there at the time, wrote in a Facebook post : “[They were] screaming we Muslim and we don’t like gays!!!!! As we are innocently pumping gas and ya’ll decided to stab on one of us!!!”
Surveillance footage of the gas station shows the confrontation between O'Shae and the group of men (CBS)Otis said that O'Shae, who was his best friend of 15 years, was killed in front of him. He added in a Facebook Live video that he, Sibley and some other friends were driving home after celebrating his birthday at the beach, when they decided to stop at the Mobil station located just two blocks from his house.
Man in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probe
He said: “I’m trying to put pressure on the wound, and there’s blood squirting everywhere,” describing the aftermath of the alleged attack. The surveillance footages shows the two groups of men arguing, before a fight breaks out. O'Shae, suffering with stab wounds, retreats, and the assailants flee the scene.
He was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center but died from his injuries. As of Monday, no arrests have been made in the deadly attack.
Police have stated that they are considering this incident as a probable hate crime. (Kemar Jewel /FACEBOOK)
He had been in New York for three years pursuing an artistic career (Kemar Jewel /FACEBOOK)O'Shae was a dancer and choreographer at the Alley Extension Program in New York, having moved from hs home in Philadelphia. A GoFundMe has been set up by someone who says they are O'Shae's father, to cover his funeral costs.
The page reads: "This untimely and undeserved hate crime incident that cut my son's life down just because of his sexual preference which was just not fair to him in his prime. O'shae not only was the glue to this family, he was a great dancer and performer for the majority of his life. His spirit lit up every room he stepped in. His smile was contagious."
His aunt told Gothamist: “Everyone that knew him knew that he was always smiling…he loved people, he loved dancing, he loved teaching dance. Why would a person feel they have the right [to kill] just because they disagree with them?”
The studio where he worked said in a statement: "“The Ailey organization mourns the tragic death of O’Shae Sibley, who was a cherished and devoted participant in our Ailey Extension program of dance classes,
“We are shocked and heartbroken that O’Shae’s life has been taken by senseless violence, and extend our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.”
Mayor Eric Adams addressed the city's overall crime on Monday, citing improvements to public safety, but acknowledged random acts of violence.
"We have an incident like we saw over the weekend where this young man was experiencing a hate crime, we will find this person. It shakes our confidence," Adams said.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
