Suspect Charged with Hate Crime in Gay Man's Killing

Allegedly used antigay slurs and shot victim in the face in Manhattan

A gunman who police say used homophobic slurs before firing a fatal shot point-blank into a man's face on a crowded Manhattan street appeared in court on Sunday to face a charge of murder as a hate crime.

"It was a quickie. He shot him and he went straight to the ground," a bouncer at a nearby club told the New York Post. "Half his body was lying on the sidewalk and half was on the street."

Elliot Morales, who appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court, was charged with murder and weapons charges, The Wall Street Journal reported. Morales was ordered held without bail pending another court appearance on Thursday. His attorney, Reginald Sharpe, could not be reached for comment.