O'Shae Sibley laid to rest at funeral in Philadelphia
NEW YORK -- O'Shae Sibely, the Brooklyn professional dancer stabbed to death last month at a gas station, was laid to rest Tuesday in Philadelphia.
At the Metropolitan Opera House in Sibley's hometown of Philadelphia, mourners gathered to bid farewell to the 28-year-old.
"O'Shae was a beacon of light for a lot of us in our community that was engulfed in darkness," one mourner said.
Dancers paid tribute to Sibley's passion, performing routines in his honor at Tuesday's celebration of life and funeral.
"Any human that enjoys something and they lose their life over it, we should put an emphasis on it," one person said.
Sibley was stabbed to death on July 29 after police said he was called homophobic and racist slurs by a teenager while dancing with friends at a gas station in Midwood, Brooklyn.
Last week, officers arrested a 17-year-old high school student on a hate-motivated murder charge.
"What happened to him was a hate crime. It wasn't an alleged hate crime. It was a hate crime. It was evil and disgusting, but now look at all the love," Clifvonne Kelly said.
"You know, I'm here to support my community," Rasean Lopez said.
On Tuesday, the focus shifted from how Sibley died and focused on celebrating how he lived. The talented dancer and choreographer attended Temple University and was a member of the Philadelphia Dance Company.
"Just a ball of life, just how he was. I want to remember him just the way he was," said another mourner. "It's difficult getting through these times, but with every tragedy, there's also a miracle. I do believe a miracle will be made and justice will be served."
"O'Shae started dancing at the age of 3, and he's been dancing ever since," one mourner said. "O'Shae was a talented dancer and choreographer with passion for the arts who used his talents to teach others and advocate for social change."
Sibley's legacy will live on long after death, with an annual scholarship to the Philadelphia Dance Company created in his honor, giving others a chance to embrace their passions the way he did, right up until the moment he died.
The 17-year-old suspect is being held without bail.