A swarm of middle schoolers was filmed curb-stomping a defenseless peer lying on the ground at a Maryland bus stop while others smiled and egged them on, disturbing viral footage shows.
Five students were charged in connection with the Baltimore street fight that broke out just after school dismissal on April 20 and was filmed by a witness.
The viral smackdown appeared to be one-versus-six as the victim lay prone on the sidewalk and curled up in a fetal position while trying to protect their head from the gang’s relentless kicks, punches, and stomps, the shocking clip shows.
At least six people, mostly girls, attacked the child while several other smiling kids filmed and encouraged the beating, according to the video.
Many bystanders were filmed laughing and cheering as shoes started to fly. Others appeared to have ditched their shoes in the street while they brutalized the victim.
A local law firm that posted the video warned that the midday brawl is “the new norm” for middle schoolers in the Baltimore area.
Five juveniles allegedly involved in the tussle were charged with second-degree assault, according to the Baltimore County Police Department.
Two other purported brawlers couldn’t be charged because they are below the age of 13. Most of the children involved in the fight were between 11 and 14 years old, according to the department.
None of the students were taken into custody, but the department assured it was making efforts to notify their parents.
Mickey Hoppert, a retired Baltimore County cop, told WBFF that he wasn’t surprised by the teens’ boldness, mainly because they know “no one is going to hold them accountable.”
“Juveniles are getting away with a lot of crime, and from what I’ve found is it starts with the law. Starts at the top with the lawmakers. They’ve basically handcuffed the police, and the police aren’t able to do as much as they would like to do with the juveniles. It goes all the way from simple assault all the way up to violent crimes,” Hoppert said.
Others who reviewed the caught-on-camera beating were also stunned by the assailants’ indifference to the victim’s pain — and the plentiful witnesses around them.
“i know these people, god i hate my school,” one girl commented.
“I’d be prepared to spend a long time in jail if that was my kid,” another person added.
