A 32- year-old gay man was shot dead on Greenwich St. in the West Village in New York City. The man, Marc Carson, was shot at Eighth Street and Sixth Avenue in the West Village. Police have now arrested a suspect in the hate crime who allegedly shot and killed the victim after shouting homophobic slurs at him.

Marc Carson, 32, was shot at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street.  Elliot Morales, 33, from the Lower East Side, was arrested as a suspect. "This clearly appears to be a hate crime - a bias crime," NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told press.

Eugene Lovendusky of Queer Rising noted that there have been 22 anti-gay attacks thus far this year, up from 13 at this point last year. He said,  "This is extremely shocking and we're taking this extremely seriously".  

"A lot of queer culture is starting to seep into normative culture and that can cause confusion and turns to violence."

The Daily Kos hinted that it may be "open season on gay men" and noted that it has been the fourth hate crime in the past few weeks.

Carson,  who lived in Harlem, was shot in front of the Gray's Papaya in the West Village and died at Beth Israel Hospital.  Kelly told press that prior to the shooting, Morales urinated on a wall outside Annisa bar on Barrow and West Fourth Streets. He then flashed a gun to a manager, and made anti-gay comments,

After that, allegedly Morales and two friends of his friends accosted Carson and a friend as they walked North up Sixth Avenue.

"He said to the two individuals- 'Look at these two fags. What are you, gay wrestlers?'" said Commissioner Kelly.

The men, who had no prior relationship Morales, tried to leave and didn't realize he was following them.

"The shooter says to the victims, 'Do you want to die here?' The suspect takes out a silver revolver and shoots the victim once in the cheek," Kelly said.

Authorities said Morales has been charged with murder as a hate crime.