NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The suspect in the deadly stabbing of O'Shae Sibley, the 28-year-old professional dancer who was confronted by a group of young men at a Brooklyn gas station last weekend, has turned himself in, according to councilwoman Inna Vernikov. The NYPD also confirmed to 1010 WINS that a person of interest was in their custody in relation to the stabbing, which is being investigated as a possible anti-gay hate crime.
"The suspect in the fatal stabbing of O’Shae Sibley in my district last Saturday night just turned himself in to the @NYPD61Pct & is now in their custody," Vernikov tweeted around 2:30 p.m. "Wishing the family peace during this difficult time & hoping for swift justice & serious consequences for the perpetrator."
Friends and incensed New Yorkers took to Christopher Street Thursday night, taping flyers for a Saturday night memorial to trees along street, notably across the street from the Stonewall, where the LGBTQ liberation movement is widely considered to have begun. They also handed out the flyers to shop owners.
They also taped "Justice for O'Shae" flyers along the street, as well. The candlelight memorial service will take place Saturday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the LGBT Community Center on West 13th Street in the West Village.
A memorial with flowers, candles and notes of sympathy were also placed Club Cumming, an East Village LGBTQ+ bar owned by actor Alan Cumming.
Sibley's father, Jake Kelly, has launched a GoFundMe page, which as of Thursday afternoon, had raised nearly $50,000 from about 1,700 donations. The goal was $10,000.
"My name is Jake Kelly the father of O'shae," his dad, who lives in Philadelphia, wrote. "We are raising funds for his home going service to help cover costs due to 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."
He added, "His spirit lit up every room he stepped in. His smile was contagious! To know him, was to live him. He did not deserve this. Everyone loved his spirit."
On July 30, Sibley and a group of friends were dancing and voguing to Beyoncé music while filling up at a gas station in Brooklyn, when another group of males hurled homophobic slurs at the group of dancers.
An employee of the store next to the gas station, Summy Ullah, told Gothamist that Sibley and his friends were told they were offending the other group's Muslim faith. “These people were like 'we’re Muslim, I don’t want you dancing,'” Ullah told Gothamist, adding that Sibley and his friends were "not trying to fight."
In surveillance footage, one of the males is seen stabbing Sibley.
The NYPD had previously said the suspect has a criminal history.
Otis Pena, a close friend of Sibley's who was there when he was killed, said in a video posted to Facebook that he tried to stop the bleeding by pressing on the wound but Sibley was pronounced dead after being taken to Maimonides Medical Center. “They murdered him because he was gay, because he stood up for his friends," he said.
Spike Lee took to Instagram, writing "DEADLY GAY HATE CRIME HERE IN BROOKLYN. GOD BLESS YOU BROTHER"
And on her website, Beyoncé wrote, "Rest in power."
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