Gay Couple Holding Hands Attacked After Miami Beach Pride

A gay couple holding hands were attacked after Miami Beach Pride.

The pair were assaulted by four young men Sunday at 7:40 p.m., reports the Miami Herald. The attack, caught on video, occurred near the intersection of Ocean Drive and Sixth Street in the Florida city.

The men began punching the couple after they left a public restroom, with one yelling an antigay Spanish slur. After sustaining facial injuries, the victims fled, and their attackers pursued them.

A witness, Helmut Muller, said the attack was unprovoked. "It happened so quick," he told the Herald. "They almost killed this guy, literally."

"I don't agree with it," Muller added. "It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, we all should respect each other."

Muller said he attempted to break up the fight but was knocked down by one of the attackers, injuring his head in the process.

One of the victims, his faced bruised and swelling, spoke to WTVJ, an NBC affiliate in Miami, after the attack, in a video posted to social media. "The way we were dressed and everything. We were together. For me, it was like, yes, it was a hate crime," he said.

On Tuesday, four men surrendered through an attorney to the Miami Beach Police Department for the attack: Juan C. Lopez, Pablo Reinaldo Romo, Adonis Diaz, and Luis M. Alonso, reports WPLG, an ABC affiliate. The former three are 21 years old, and Alonso is 20. They will likely face felony charges, but authorities are still weighing a hate crime addition.