Philadelphia man sentenced to life in prison for hate crime killing in 2022

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A man from Philadelphia's Brewerytown neighborhood was convicted and sentenced to life behind bars for the murder of a 20-year-old nearly two years ago.

A jury convicted Kylen Pratt of first-degree murder for killing Naasire Johnson in February 2022.

Authorities say Pratt was in a romantic relationship with Johnson at the time.

Because of this, prosecutors called the act a hate crime.

"This is an individual who was killed because he was gay and because the man who killed him did not want anyone to find out that he was in a relationship with him," explained Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope.

Johnson's family was at the press conference on Monday that announced Pratt's conviction and sentencing.

They called for legislation to treat LGBTQIA+ hate crimes as a public health emergency and for the creation of more safe spaces for young people.