After queer nightlife personality and local artist Bubbles was fatally shot two weeks ago near his home in the Tenderloin, the SFPD said they had both surveillance footage of the incident, or its preamble, and they had identified a person of interest in the case. The identity of that person of interest has not been made public, and nor has he been charged or named as a suspect, and Bubbles' friends and members of the local LGBTQ community are demanding answers, and justice in this brazen murder.
A rally and march are planned for tomorrow, Friday, September 22, as BrokeAss Stuart reports, in which organizers are asking for people to show up and offer a unified show of support to demand that the SFPD move swiftly on this case especially in light of a shocking spike in this year's homicide rate to date.
Per a press release, via IndyBay:
Although SFPD insists that it does not consider Torres’ death a hate crime, many local residents are concerned that SFPD was too quick to dismiss it. Bubbles, the alter ego, non-gender conforming persona that Anthony Torres portrayed, was well known in the music and art community. He was often seen out and about living an eccentric, mercurial and often controversial lifestyle...SFPD’s homicide unit is still investigating the murder. Mayor Ed Lee finally responded to criticism of his silence on Bubbles’ tragic death with an official statement on Saturday, September 16th, a week later.
We learned earlier, despite police saying initially that they did not believe this was a hate-motivated crime, that Bubbles may have been trying to force his way into the New Century strip club the night of the shooting, and early reports had it that a man had an argument with him and chased him across the street before shooting him.
Tomorrow's rally will begin at Larkin and Myrtle Streets, where the shooting took place, at 4 p.m., and it will culminate with a march to the steps of City Hall with another rally there at 5 p.m.
Related: Exclusive: Bubbles Recorded This Love Letter Track To San Francisco Two Months Before He Was Killed