Two gay men attacked with glass object by man shouting about LGBTQ+ people harming kids

Just as Pride Month kicked off in the world’s best-known gayborhood, a young man exhibiting signs of mental distress stalked two gay men in the Castro District in San Francisco and assaulted them.

Muhammed Abdullah, 20, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday at San Francisco’s Hall of Justice and declared in a statement to the court, “What the LGBT community is doing to kids is disrespectful to everyone who stands for God.”

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Two days earlier, around noon, Abdullah began following the two men, 58 and 40 years old, near the intersection of 18th Street and Hartford in the Castro.

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According to the district attorney, the victims say “the unknown male suspect was following them on foot while simultaneously aggressively shouting anti-LGBTQ language. The suspect then threw a glass object at them causing the 40-year-old male victim to sustain a non-life-threatening injury.”

The men called 911 and provided a description of Abdullah, who was spotted a short time later near Mission Dolores Park. After a foot chase, cops apprehended the assailant and booked him into county jail on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of committing a hate crime and one of resisting arrest.

On Wednesday, Abdullah pleaded not guilty to those charges in addition to counts of misdemeanor battery, violation of a person’s civil rights, and petty theft.

According to the Bay Area Reporter, the arraignment before Judge Victor M. Hwang was delayed for several minutes while Abdullah was “in the tank screaming” at the time of his scheduled appearance.

“San Francisco is a safe haven for LGBTQ people,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement. “Our city is proud of our diversity and for being an open and welcoming beacon to all people, especially those who have been marginalized elsewhere.”

“Hate crimes that seek to demean and otherize people because of who they are, what they look like, or who they love are unacceptable and will be prosecuted.”

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott described the attacks as “unacceptable.”

“It’s especially troubling that this incident took place as we celebrate Pride Month in San Francisco. Anyone who threatens or harms someone based on being a member of the LGBTQ community will be held accountable.”

Abdullah faces over ten years in prison if convicted on all counts and remains in custody while prosecutors seek pretrial detention. They cited his mental state and potential threat to the community in their request.

Deputy Public Defender Tehanita Taylor said “there was no direct threat” to life in Abdullah’s actions and characterized his words as “sarcastic.”

His next court appearance is June 21.