A witness said a group of men that included the teenager charged in the killing used homophobic slurs and told Mr. Sibley that they were Muslim, and he should stop dancing.
Mayor Eric Adams and the police held a news conference at which the mayor stressed that the killing was not evidence of Muslim hatred of gay people.
Now, it appears the man charged with Mr. Sibley’s murder is not Muslim at all.
The suspect, Dmitry Popov, 17, is Christian, his lawyer said, altering at least one aspect of a killing that has drawn national attention.
Mr. Sibley’s death had raised concerns about how the charged accusations could hurt relations between two marginalized communities, gay people and Muslims.
Persons:
O’Shae Sibley, Sibley, Eric Adams, Sibley’s, Dmitry Popov
Locations:
Midwood, Brooklyn