Suspect in Weekend LGBT Killing Had Prior Arrest Record For Attempted Murder

UPDATE

The NYPD has released the name of the victim of Saturday's hate crime killing as Mark Carson of Brooklyn. According to USA Today, the suspect in custody has been identified by police as 33 year old Elliot Morales of Manhattan who has a previous arrest for attempted murder in 1998.

A 32 year old gay man was shot and killed in Greenwich Village early this morning, Saturday, adding to the recent rash of anti-gay hate crimes that have been plaguing New York City this month. The suspect was caught by police shortly after the attack. NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly has labeled the attack a hate crime.

As reported in local news station WCBS, Commissioner Kelly said ""This fully looks to be a hate crime; a bias crime," he said. "There were no words that would aggravate the situation that were spoken by the victims. They did not know the confronter. There was no previous relationship."

Kelly said the gunman was first urinated on the street outside a bar, then walked into the bar. The man proceeded to make anti-gay remarks to the bartender, the commissioner said.

"He then says to both the bartender and the manager that if you do call the police, I'll shoot you, and he opens up what is a gray hoodie, and shows what appears to be a shoulder holster carrying this revolver," Kelly said.

Kelly then said the gunman came up to the victim and his companion outside, asked if they were "gay wrestlers," and shot the victim in the face.

The busy and well-traveled intersection of 8th Street, Sixth Avenue and Greenwich Avenue is just a few blocks from Washington Square Park.

The suspect was caught at MacDougal and 3rd streets on the edge of the NYU campus.

Denouncing the killing as a hate crime, City Council Speaker and Mayoral Candidate Christine Quinn said ""I am horrified to learn that last night, a gay man was murdered in my district after being chased out of a Greenwich Village restaurant and assailed by homophobic slurs. I stand with all New Yorkers in condemning this attack." as reported by local news station NY1k

This is latest of four attacks on the LGBT community in New York City this month.