Ali Muhammed Brown is wanted in the slayings of two gay men in Seattle. Photo:

Ali Muhammed Brown is wanted in the slayings of two gay men in Seattle. Photo:

SEATTLE — One man is in custody and another suspect is on the run in last weekend’s double homicide of two gay men in Seattle’s Central District.

Dwone Anderson-Young, 23, and Ahmed Said, 27, were fatally shot in the early morning hours on Sunday, June 1.

Seattle police and Mayor Ed Murray said earlier this week that the slayings could have been a hate crime, although the motive remains unclear. Anderson-Young’s mother said he was gay, and friends of Said have also indicated that he too was gay, reports KIRO-TV.

Police are asking for the public’s help in locating 30-year-old Ali Muhammed Brown, a black male, 5’9″ tall with brown eyes and about 190 pounds. He is believed to be a transient and often frequents the south King County area. He is believed to be armed and dangerous.

Another man, Matalepuna Malu, 26, is being held in jail on a federal warrant and investigation of an assault Sunday morning that police believe was not connected to the murders. Malu turned himself in to police the day of the slayings, saying he’s innocent and wanted to clear his name.

Police say Malu is a “person of interest” in the investigations.

“This is a tragedy that has touched three communities,” Murray said referring to Said’s Somali background, Anderson-Young as an African-American and the LGBTQ community. “It’s important that we come together as we try to figure out the motives that might behind this crime.”

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Witnesses said the two victims were last seen together earlier that evening at a the gay bar R Place and the nearby Hot Mama’s Pizza.

Anderson-Young had recently graduated from the University of Washington and was scheduled to begin working for Microsoft next week, according to friends.

Said is the oldest son in a Somali family; friends say he worked two jobs.