By MATT KIELTYKA, 24 HOURS

Vancouver police are investigating three youths in connection with a potential hate crime.

Police say an "openly gay" man was walking home in the 1600 block of Davie Street around 1 a.m. on May 2 when he was attacked by teens.

"They were throwing eggs at him and then threw beer bottles," Const. Tim Fanning told media yesterday. "He was very scared by their behaviour. He was very traumatized by the event."

Fanning said the offence itself wouldn't normally cause police to go public, but the circumstances demand a more concerted effort.

Police have released convenience store footage of the suspects before the attack.

"It may or may not be a hate crime, that's why we need to talk to these men," said Fanning, who characterized hate crimes as "repulsive."

The suspects were also yelling at the victim during the assault, but Fanning said he was too traumatized to make out the words.

Police are looking for three Indo-Canadian males between 18 and 20.

While the descriptions of the suspects are sparse, Fanning hopes the images speak for themselves.