New details have emerged from the investigation into several large groups of Philadelphia youths who marauded through Temple University beating students and bystanders.
Police now say over 150 youths descended upon Temple campus, and the victims now number at least seven, plus an injured police horse.
Police were called on Friday, October 21, when the mob of teens began running around the campus attacking people who were walking the sidewalks on campus. Police first claimed that perhaps as many as 50 attackers were involved, but now the number has been increased to over 150.
Also, earlier reports noted one or two victims of the attackers, but now that number includes at least six students and one police officer.
Temple University officials scrambled on Friday to send out warnings to students and staffers on campus to stay indoors while the mobs careened through the area.
It now appears that the mob of mostly black teens had arranged the attacks using Instagram, the Philadelphia Inquirer noted.
In one attack, the father of victim Christina Laulette reported that his daughter was beaten bloody by up to 40 youths who swarmed around her and her two male companions. All were viciously beaten without provocation. “Her and her 2 male friends where badly beaten by a group of 30-40 black teenagers on their way home from the Temple football game,” Joe Lauletta wrote in a Facebook post.
The aggrieved father reported that his daughter was “kicked and stomped” and “Every part of her body is badly bruised.”
The attacks were similar to the “knockout game,” in which urban youths sucker punch passersby.
In addition, the mobs lashed out at two police officers and one teen even punched a police horse in the muzzle several times.
Some surveillance video shows a large group of teens running rampant.
Appearing on a New Jersey radio station, former Temple student Ashley Hall told 101.5 FM host Bill Spadea that in the past Temple University prided itself on its campus safety campaign.
On Tuesday evening, the president of Temple University posted a brief description of the attacks.
On Friday night we sent a TU Alert that reported a large group of youths gathered as a result of a “flash mob” near the Pearl Theater, adjacent to Temple’s Main Campus. Over the next two hours, eight people—including six Temple students and two Temple police officers—were victims of assaults, and some were punched, pushed or robbed. Some of the perpetrators were apprehended by authorities, and further investigations continue.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.