Father of Philly native killed in possible NYC hate crime left searching for answers

PHILADELPHIA - The father of a Philadelphia native killed in a possible hate crime in New York City is searching for answers as he tries to cope with the unimaginable loss of his son.

O'Shea Sibley, 28, was fatally stabbed during a confrontation with another group last weekend while filling-up at a Brooklyn gas station, according to police.

Investigators say Sibley and his friends were simply dancing to music when they were confronted by a group of men who allegedly used gay slurs and ordered them to stop.

When Sibley moved toward them and spoke, police say he was stabbed multiple times and pronounced dead at a local hospital. Jake Kelly, Sibley father, called his son a "peacemaker."

"O'Shea was more like a peacemaker, if you were with him and somebody was trying to do something to you, he'd try to defuse the situation, that's what it looks like he was doing there." 

Sibley, an openly gay man, moved from Philadelphia to New York City before the coronavirus pandemic in search of dance and choreography opportunities. 

As a teen, his passion for dance landed him at the renowned Philadelphia Dance Company, known locally as Philadanco. Kelly recalled his son always striving to reach new and unexplored heights.

Sibley's death, which NYPD is investigating as a possible hate crime, has prompted outrage among the LGBTQ+ community who argue violence against gay Americans has risen. 

Meanwhile, families like Sibley's are left to wonder what would trigger such senseless violence. 

"I haven't the slightest idea, I can't tell you that one, some people fear the unknown, I guess," Kelly said. "It's going to be hard, just take it one day at a time, it's all we can do."