In a shocking incident late Saturday night, a man was fatally stabbed at a Mobil gas station in Midwood, Brooklyn, in what is currently being investigated by the New York Police Department as a possible hate crime.
According to New York Daily News, the 28-year-old victim, who was with his friends, reportedly attracted the assailant’s ire due to his exuberant dancing, which the perpetrator alleged was disrespectful to his Muslim faith.
The tragedy occurred around 11:15 p.m. when the victim and his four friends arrived at the gas station on Coney Island Ave. near Avenue P. Amidst the summer heat, the group was shirtless and outfitted only with swimming trunks, with one of them dancing outside as they filled up their vehicle.
The dancing took a tragic turn when a group of men, exiting the gas station, took offense to the victim’s group’s actions, particularly their attire and dancing. Witness Summy Ullah, age 32, quoted a man in the group as saying, “Oh, we’re Muslim, so don’t do this in front of me.”
READ MORE: Gas prices soar to eight-month high
According to New York Daily News, Ullah claimed the violence was likely sparked by homophobia, saying, “Obviously, they are gay and if they are dancing that’s the problem they had.”
Video footage obtained by the Daily News revealed a heated exchange between the two groups. “You like girls, you look like you’re into girls, but we are not into girls,” retorted the victim’s group.
Efforts to defuse the situation by Ullah fell flat as the conflict escalated. The unidentified assailant, who was recording the victim’s group on his cellphone, later turned violent, resulting in the victim being fatally stabbed. The victim, who sustained a stab wound to the torso, was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center but died as a result of his injuries.
This news article was partially created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and edited and fact-checked by a human editor.
