Authorities say a group of teenagers savagely beat a homeless man, streamed part of the assault on Instagram, and then left him next to a dumpster with grave injuries.
Surveillance video captured the attack on May 26 in South Oklahoma City at a 7-Eleven gas station.
According to KFOR, the victim, Tilman Shannon, was standing near the station when a group of teenagers started yelling at him from their car.
Surveillance footage caught the moments Shannon ran away, but the group chased him down and then began brutally beating him near a dumpster.
Investigators said the video shows nine people were involved in the assault. In an even more unsettling development, police learned that one of the teenagers, identified as 19-year-old Veronica Benavente, live-streamed the attack on her Instagram page for less than two minutes.
Court documents state Benavente recorded the moments when she and her friends bragged that they were kids beating a man and proceeded to call Shannon several racial slurs and expletives, including the N-word.
Shannon reportedly suffered severe injuries in the attack, including one he sustained when a part of his intestinal tract was removed after the teens ripped out his colostomy bag.
“He had some pretty severe injuries and pretty significant trauma,” Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Dillon Quirk said.
Benavente and her alleged accomplice, 18-year-old Eric Villagomez, were arrested. Benavente was charged with aggravated assault and battery, accessory to crime, and conspiracy to commit a felony. Villagomez faces aggravated assault and battery, maiming, and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Police also charged three minors in connection to the attack. They’re currently looking for the rest of the suspects.
Shannon is expected to survive his injuries.
One neighbor told KFOR he’s lived in the area for decades and occasionally sees criminal activity.
“That is disgusting,” Mike Martin told the outlet.
“It’s not that common but there are a lot of gangs around here,” he said. “Not that long ago I saw some elementary-age kids in front of my house with bandanas on and I was like, ‘What are you guys doing?’ They yelled something and acted all tough.”
