UPDATED 8/10, 10:05 p.m. ET: The 17-year-old accused of fatally stabbing O'Shae Sibley was formally charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime Thursday, as reported by ABC News.
The identity of the teenager has not been revealed since he is a minor. According to NBC New York, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison, with a minimum sentence of 20 years.
"The death of this young man is both tragic and senseless," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.
See original story below.
The New York Police Department has announced they have someone in custody regarding the death of O'Shae Sibley, a gay man who was fatally stabbed after dancing to a Beyoncé song with his friends in Brooklyn. The suspect reportedly turned themselves in.
Authorities declined to reveal the identity of the teenager, only revealing that they have been charged with second-degree murder which has been classified as a hate crime. Sibley was killed on July 29 when he was at a gas station with friends filling up their car and dancing to songs off Beyoncé's Renaissance album.
A group of men approached Sibley and his friends to confront them which led to an altercation. Sibley was stabbed in the stomach and was taken to the hospital, where he eventually was pronounced dead. Sibley reportedly told the group of men to stop using gay slurs and said, "There is nothing wrong with being gay."
"They murdered him because he's gay, because he stood up for his friends," Sibley's friend Otis Pena said in a Facebook video following the altercation. At the time, police stated they were looking for a 17-year-old they believed was responsible for the killing.
Beyoncé recently paid tribute to O'Shae Sibley on the homepage of her website. A brief message pops up on the screen that reads, "Rest in Power O'Shae Sibley." Several of Sibley's close friends commented on the tribute on Facebook.
"Brother the Queen has spoken on your behalf !!!," Darius Hollywood Moss wrote. "You would be smiling sooo hard right now!!!" Otis Pena, who witnessed the killing and held Sibley as he was dying, wrote, "Everyone will know your name O'shae."
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