City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn stated:
“In the early morning hours of, March 12th, a brutal attack occurred in Queens that left a young man dead. The victim, Anthony Collao, along with a friend, had left a party. He was chased and viciously beaten with a metal pipe. According to a Daily News report, the perpetrators yelled anti-gay slurs as they attacked Collao.
“I want to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Anthony Collao. My Council colleagues and I are saddened and disturbed by this outrageous attack. We celebrate diversity in New York City, we do not tolerate bias attacks in any neighborhood in Queens or anywhere else in our great City.
“We condemn this violent act of intolerance and ignorance in the strongest possible terms. The Council is in communication with the NYPD Hate Crimes Unit about this incident and we thank the NYPD for their swift action making four arrests over the weekend. I am confident that law enforcement officials will aggressively prosecute those responsible for this hateful act. We are urging anyone who witnessed this attack or who has any information about the perpetrators of this hate crime to come forward with any information to the authorities and the anonymous hotline 1-800-577-TIPS.”
Council Member Eric Ulrich stated:
“I was truly saddened to hear about the fatal attack in my district over the weekend. My prayers go out to the young victim’s family and friends.
“Our streets will not be safe until the individuals who are responsible for this heinous crime are brought to justice. Senseless acts of violence such as this will simply not be tolerated.”
Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer stated:
“The tragic attack in Woodhaven which has resulted in the death of a young man is another reminder that homophobia is a real and present danger in our society. Verbally and physically attacking people based on their sexual orientation or their perceived sexual orientation is a crime against all people and we must fight to end this cycle of hate once and for all.”
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