A Harvard Medical School student was allegedly attacked after requesting a group of teenagers to quiet down at the AMC Boston Common 19 movie theater last week. Thiago Rentz, 35, a postdoctoral student originally from Brazil, claims the altercation occurred after watching a horror film titled "Weapons," with the teenagers making noise throughout the screening. In a statement obtained by CBS Boston, Rentz recounted the group's rowdy behavior, saying, "A group of eight guys and two girls they started making noise, clapping, screaming, and disturbing all the people."
After multiple attempts to pacify the situation, Rentz left to find a manager, but alleges that the theater's staff did not address the issue. According to Rentz, as reported by NBC10 Boston, the teens blocked his path in the lobby after the film, forcing him to face the wall while they hit him, focusing on his face and head. "I didn't fight back. I was like scared and then I just faced the wall, and I just protected my face in my head, but the target was obviously my head because they were punching my head and my face," Rentz explained.
Following the incident, Rentz, who suffered a black eye and nasal injury, has voiced his dissatisfaction with the theatre's security measures and the staff's response. "I want accountability. I want attackers to be identified. They need to know this can't happen. For the theater, I think they need to hire more people to work as security," Rentz told CBS Boston. He conveyed the sense of insecurity he felt after the event, questioning the assailants' impunity and the theater's safety protocols.
Rentz's friend who was present during the attack corroborated his story, describing their attempt to find help which eventually led them to a cleaning lady and later a security guard. EMTs arrived at the scene and the Boston Police took a statement from Rentz around 12:45 a.m., though by that time the theater was closed and employees were unreachable. Reports from NBC10 Boston noted that the police documented the assault time as approximately 12:15 a.m. with Rentz sustaining a minor injury to his nose.
Both Rentz and his friend claim that the attackers fled before theatre staff or law enforcement could apprehend them and no contact has been made following the attack. Rentz has demanded a follow-up to ensure surveillance footage is reviewed in hopes of identifying the attackers. "I want the attackers to be identified because they need to be punished," he said, as detailed by NBC10 Boston. As of now, AMC has not publicly responded to inquiries about the incident from numerous media outlets. Boston Police are currently investigating the assault.
