Hundreds of mourners gathered to pay tribute O’Shae Sibleythe beloved dancer from New York City who was fatally stabbed by a 17-year-old in what has been described as a “hate-motivated murder.”
Sibley, 28, was “vogue” and danced shirtless to a Beyonce song while filling up his car at a gas station in Midwood, Brooklyn before he was killed.
More than 200 people attended Sibley’s funeral in his hometown of Philadelphia at the historic Opera House on Tuesday. Sibley had moved to New York to pursue his career as a dancer. He performed with the dance company Philadanco and danced to celebrate his LGBTQ+ identity.
Otis Pena, a close friend of Sibley’s who was at the gas station, shared his grief hours later Facebook video. “O’Shae had the power to touch anyone’s heart, whoever met him.”
He added, “He was ‘a beacon of light to many of us in our community.’
O’Shae Sibley, the beloved New York City dancer who was fatally stabbed by a 17-year-old teenager, was described by friends and relatives as having the “power to touch everyone’s heart”
Sibley’s brooding parents, Jake Kelly and mom Onetha Sibley, walk down the aisle during their son, O’Shea Sibley’s celebration of life ceremony held at The Met in Philadelphia on Tuesday
Sibley’s parents stand over their son’s casket as he says his final goodbyes during his viewing Tuesday at The Met Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A celebration of life service followed at the Met in Philadelphia. Sibley’s father, Jake Kelly, is captured resting his eyes on his son in his coffin as he says his final goodbyes.
Sidley was buried at Fernwood Cemetary in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. Sibley’s grief-stricken mother, Onetha Sibley, is seen placing her hand on her son’s royal blue coffin, surrounded by loved ones.
After his senseless death, tributes poured in far and wide, including from filmmaker Spike Lee and musician Beyonce. Spike Lee posted the Instagram post “Rest in Power.”
The Queen Bee posted the same message on its website after learning that Sibley and his friends listened to her music before the fatal attack.
Surveillance footage captured a group of teens allegedly shouting homophobic slurs and anti-black statements at Sibley and his friends, according to surveillance footage ABC news reported Chicago.
Security camera footage showed the altercation had broken out and both groups had run off when Sibley and his friends abruptly returned and crossed a parking lot to confront the white 17-year-old, who was recording on his phone, the Associated Press reported. .
The video showed Sibley following the teen and then lunging at him. The stabbing happened out of sight of the cameras.
Officials said after words were exchanged, the teen took out a knife and stabbed Sibley to death.
The suspect, whose identity has not been released because he is a minor, turned himself in to the police. Brooklyn prosecutors charged him with murder, hate crime murder and criminal possession of weapons.
Onederful Ancrum, a dancer with Philadanco performs at the ceremony to celebrate life in honor of her friend’s shock death
Sibley’s father raised his arm in memory of his son in celebration of life while surrounded by family and friends
Heartbroken family members hold blue and white floral reefs as they mourn the loss of their loved one during Tuesday’s celebration of life
Sibley’s grief-stricken father carries his son’s coffin
Rev. Bernard Brown of the United Church of the First Born told mourners at the Met Philadelphia that Sibley “lived his life doing what he loved so passionately—and senselessly lost his life doing what he loved.”
Karen Pendergrass, a teacher at the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts, remembered Sibley as a shy 14-year-old who kept sticking his head through her classroom door.
“You have one more time to pass my door and then you will come through my door,” she told him. “He took that class, he got a scholarship, and he just blossomed from there.”
A dance scholarship will be set up in Sibley’s name, Pendergrass said.
At least one witness told reporters that some of the teenagers who clashed with Sibley and his friends objected to the dancers’ behavior because they were Muslim.
Sibley’s friends gather beside his coffin to share their final goodbyes
A friend of Sibley’s puts a bouquet of flowers during the vigil to memorialize the young dancer
A vigil was held on Friday, with many performing their own repertoire to pay tribute to the beloved talented dancer who died in a hate crime
However, the mother and lawyer of the 17-year-old boy accused of the stabbing said he is actually a Christian who wears a cross and goes to church.
The teenager’s grandmother told the Daily News he just defended himself.
A tribute was held for Sidley last Wednesday at Club Cumming in the East Village, a gay bar named after actor Alan Cuming, ABC news reported.
Kemar Jewel, an old friend of Sibley’s, told the news outlet that “O’Shae was the type of person you could never be sad with”.
O’Shae is funny. He is crazy. He does everything he can to make you laugh, does everything he can to make people happy,” he said.