Philadelphia has seen a troubling series of attacks in its Center City district, where six teenagers, ages 13 to 15, have been charged after a spate of violence earlier this month. NBC Philadelphia reported that the assaults took place last Tuesday, beginning with the attack on a homeless man and culminating with the assault on a woman in her 40s. Philadelphia Police Captain Jason Smith described the attacks as group assaults, where victims were punched from behind, knocked to the ground, and then attacked as a group.
According to FOX 29, the series of unprovoked beatings left one woman with a concussion. The assaults were characterized by the teens' approach from behind, with victims including a 31-year-old man punched and chased near 19th Street and a 40-year-old woman assaulted outside a Target store – the resulting criminal charges ranged from aggravated assault to reckless endangerment. The Philadelphia Police shared surveillance footage of the assaults, leading to the apprehension of the involved teenagers, prompting Inspector Raymond Evers to acknowledge the cooperation of the accused minors' parents, saying, "The parents were right on point, they saw their kids did something wrong on Wednesday and on Friday they turned their kids in," in a press conference covered by FOX 29.
All six teens attended Anthony Wayne Academy, as confirmed by Inspector Evers, and have been processed through the juvenile justice system. As Metro Philadelphia reports, none had a previous arrest record, adding to the mystery of their motives for the attacks. Further raising questions is the involvement of a seventh teen, present during the incidents but not active in the assaults.
