Investigators are piecing together what led to a brutal attack that landed one Florida teenager in the hospital with serious injuries and several others in jail with attempted murder charges.
Police arrested six teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18 for an attack at a dog park in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday, Feb. 13, during a bonfire gathering.
Cellphone video sent to FOX 13 captured several teenagers, including at least one who was armed with a knife, surrounding a black pickup truck occupied by the victim and his friend.
The assailants pulled the victim from the passenger seat of the truck and began punching and kicking him until he was unconscious. The victim was treated at a local hospital for severe injuries and was later released, according to WTSP.
Police arrested Owen Callahan, 17; Jacob Ely, 17; Joseph Gesuale, 16; Jace Villanueva, 16; Grayson Shearer, 15; and Orian Robinson, 18. All six are being tried as adults and every teen except Robinson was charged with attempted murder.
Investigators said the violent incident was the result of a dispute between the group that took place days earlier outside Tampa city limits in Clearwater.
According to FOX 13, the victim allegedly penned several messages containing racist and derogatory language to one of the alleged assailants. A screenshot reveals the messages included racially charged statements and threats like, “I love black ppl but not u,” and, “… imma put you in my field and make u pick some Cotten.”
A detective with the Tampa Police Department testified that the derogatory messages were sent a day after the fight in Clearwater and, according to defense attorneys, the victim instigated the attack by sending the messages.
“This was a brutal and senseless attack that has no place in our community,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. “No matter your age, if you commit a crime in our city, expect to be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Thanks to the swift work and dedication of our officers and detectives, these individuals will now face the consequences of their actions.”
The investigation is ongoing, and police are still working to determine the exact motive for the attack.
