On Wednesday, January 4, four African-American teens in Chicago were taken into custody after a video was released showing the accused tying up and torturing a white male with mental health challenges. The local police were made aware of this crime through social media, as the perpetrators had posted the torture on Facebook Live. The video, released on Tuesday, January 3 and uploaded to YouTube a shortly after, shows the teens slapping, kicking, and cutting the tied up individual in the corner of a room. The teens are also seen shouting racial slurs and muttering expletives against both Donald Trump and people of another race.

The students of HB found it disgusting and horrid that such an act occurred in the United States. Simon Blaisdell ‘17 said, “This is not the way teens should voice their opinions, whether on the president-elect, or any other issue. What caused them to think that this was acceptable? This should show students how social media can be used for good and bad, and to be careful online.” Sarah Crocker ‘17 called the incident “insane”. She had heard about it, but couldn’t bring herself to watch the video. “The crime is absolutely sickening.”

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson called the act “sickening” and a “brutal …broadcast for the whole world to see,” as reported by NBC News. The Chicago Police Department is expected to file charges against the two 18-year-old men and against two 18-year-old women who committed the initial kidnapping and brutalization. The suspects were arrested on an unrelated battery charge, but police were able to connect them to the beating through the Facebook Live video posted on one of the suspect’s accounts. The police are currently investigating the kidnapping and potential hate crime. “We’re still investigating it, and if the facts guide us in that [hate crime] direction, then we’ll certainly charge them appropriately,” Johnson said.