Machete wielding juvenile who allegedly hurled anti-gay slurs in DC arrested

Teenager arrested for possible hate crime in DC

A juvenile suspect is in custody after he allegedly hurled anti-gay slurs and threatened someone with a machete.

WASHINGTON - Police say a suspect armed with a machete who allegedly threatened to stab someone Saturday afternoon in Northwest D.C. has been arrested.

Police say they're investigating it as a potential hate crime.

The suspect - who is a juvenile - has not been identified.

It happened around 3 p.m. in the 500 block of Florida Ave. NW in the District's Shaw neighborhood.

Police say the suspect called the victim a gay slur while the victim was dining outside.

The suspect then stabbed cicadas on the ground with the machete and flicked the bugs at the victim.

"I'll silence you," the suspect told the victim, police say.

The suspect then left the scene. No injuries were reported.

The crime fell on the same weekend as Capital Pride, the District's annual celebration of queer culture.

Nearby surveillance cameras captured images of the suspect.