Surveillance video caught the terrifying moments when multiple juveniles — some with guns — beat up a man who appeared to be minding his own business as he sat outside a gas station store in Cleveland early Tuesday.
Officials said more than a dozen teens in three stolen cars pulled into the Shell station at East 140th Street and St. Clair Avenue around 12:40 a.m., Cleveland.com reported.
Some in the group walked up to a 34-year-old man sitting against the outer wall of the station store and began throwing punches, the outlet said, citing the surveillance video. The attack “appears to be entirely random,” the outlet added.
One of the teens, who has not been identified, pulled an AR-15-style rifle out of his pants and laid it down before joining the attack, Cleveland.com said, citing the video.
Another teen picked up the gun and hit the victim’s head with the butt, the outlet said, citing the video.
One of the attackers lifted the man off his feet and body-slammed him to the ground.
After the beating ceased, the victim went inside the store, Cleveland.com said, adding that the attackers remained in the parking lot.
A little over two minutes later one of the teens donned a mask, ran around the corner of the gas station, and fired off 18 rounds toward Coit Avenue, the outlet said, adding that officials said they are trying to determine what the teen was targeting.
Cleveland.com said several other teens pulled out guns and started shooting from the parking lot, and then they sped off in the stolen cars.
Here’s the surveillance video:
Police were collecting bullet casings at the gas station about two hours after the attack when a call came in about a group of teenagers hanging around an abandoned house on Delevan Avenue, the outlet said.
When officers showed up at the house, they recognized the stolen cars from the gas station attack parked outside, and they arrested 13 teenagers, Cleveland.com said.
All of them were arraigned Tuesday morning, and 12 remain in custody, the outlet said, adding that a 12-year-old girl was the only one released pending her trial and that she didn’t participate in the violence, although she is charged with receiving stolen property.
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said the teenager who first opened fire also is charged in a July 9 killing at a park, and he likely will be charged as an adult, Cleveland.com reported.
The attackers face charges ranging from receiving stolen property to felonious assault and aggravated rioting, the outlet said. Four of them already had pending cases in Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, Cleveland.com said, adding that three were previously arrested in stolen cars and the fourth was charged with improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle.
‘Animalistic’
Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond called the attack “animalistic,” the outlet reported.
“I know a lot of people will probably say, ‘I can’t believe the chief said that,’” Drummond added, according to Cleveland.com. “But look at that video. To attack the man who was doing absolutely nothing is animalistic behavior. We will not accept that type of behavior.”
Mayor Justin Bibb called the attack unconscionable and immoral, the outlet said: “If you’re a juvenile and want to act in criminal behavior like an adult, we will hold you accountable.”
More from Cleveland.com:
O’Malley pointed out that the county’s juvenile detention center is holding 160 youths, mostly charged with high-level offenses of violence including murder, attempted murder, shootings and aggravated robberies. The facility likely does not have enough staff to be able to hold any more juveniles.
They are animals and belong in the jungle !
Another bunch of black mobs going around and jump on a man by himself. They run wild like in packs. They are a danger to our country right now and someone better teach them how to behave in society. Arrests are in order. We can not have them going around and trying to beat every white person or kill them. This has gone too far now. Give us our Police back. All these Democratic Mayors and Governors should be arrested for not keeping their communities free of this Black crime on Whites.
Why were they in juvenile detainment, why not Prison !
The South told you so! Dont you know we had tried everything to bring these peoples standards up, and some would never happen. We kept their violence under control, we allowed them to be themselves off and on the job. Some were very good supervisors, mechanics, bakers, seamstresses, nurses, cooks, baby tenders and so on. However some just would never learn. Many were freed out right in wills or bought their freedom from money they earned in their free time. Agriculture was not done everyday of the year, you grown what you can when you can. And you harvested like hell to save your crops. What Lincoln did was a DISGRACE, his policies ruined what had taken us 200 years to accomplice and left the negros worse off. Then again in 1960s, 1975 and today are no better. You people in almost every state are experiencing the harm that has been done to you by the USA government laws and regulations. It is up to all you people toTake our Country back and elect Donald J. Trump for starters.