A man severely injured during a brutal street assault in the District has died and police are backing away from their initial belief the man was a victim of gay bashing.

Tony Hunter and a friend were attacked as they walked to the Bebar, a well-known gay club. While the bar holds a memorial for Hunter, police are calling his death a homicide and not a hate crime.

A severe blow to the head left Hunter in a coma. After lingering ten days in a vegetative state, he died. "Everybody loved him. He was a country boy with a city swagger," said friend Tra'il.

At first, investigators suspected gay bashing. A group of four young men attacked Hunter and his friend as they walked to a gay bar. But based on witness accounts and since the assailants robbed Hunter, police now call it a homicide. But Hunter's former partner still suspects gay bashing. "I was there that Sunday night. You know, I think it was a lot of people do think it was because two gay guys did get attacked," said Tra'il. 

The attack happened on a stretch of 8th Street. Locals say regardless of what led to Hunter's death, the street where he was attacked is a hot spot for crime and thugs to gather. "I call the police every day, several times a day," said Gwen Fields, local business owner. 

Fields says the teenage boys and young men who gather constantly on the street make running her salon business difficult. "It's emotionally draining. I don't really feel frightened, I just feel very frustrated. I don't know what else to do."

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