A violent “group of juveniles” allegedly chased a Philadelphia college student across campus and into a residence hall before beating him in a vicious, caught-on-video attack.
The assault happened at around 2:50 a.m. Sunday at Temple University, when the teens chased the student into the Morgan Hall South dorm, according to the Temple University Police Department.
“Once inside, the group struck the student and damaged university property,” police said.
The unidentified student sustained minor injuries in the attack and declined medical treatment at the scene.
The damage caused inside the residence hall by the thugs included a smashed monitor at the security desk, ABC6 reported.
Police released surveillance images showing at least nine male teenagers believed to have been involved in the assault, some wearing hoodies and facial coverings, while others’ faces were visible to the camera.
No arrests have been made.
Investigators are working alongside safety officials from the School District of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Police Department and are urging the public to help identify those involved.
The circumstances that led to the attack at one of the campus’s largest dormitory complexes — which houses more than 1,200 students — remain under investigation.
Temple Police Deputy Chief Gaetano Sava told ABC6 the department takes incidents involving students and outside residents seriously.
“It’s concerning. Whenever our residents, I mean, we’re here for the safety of our residents and our students. So, when anybody is victimized, it’s concerning to us. We take it very seriously,” Sava said.
Investigators have also obtained a cellphone video of the attack, police said.
“Investigation is ongoing from the video, we have some still shots, and we’re hoping the community can help us identify,” Sava said.
Temple University sophomore Emanuel Turner said the attack has put things into “perspective” for him.
“It puts the threat actually into perspective because, especially knowing as a college student, your main priority is education, not really safety, but this happening is a little bit more in the forefront,” he told the outlet.
Police have ramped up patrols in the area following the incident and are urging students to take advantage of campus safety resources.
“We have a TU safety app, which is an app you can install on your telephone and request a walking escort. You can request a flight shuttle to basically give you a ride home,” Sava said.
Temple University sits in the heart of Philadelphia with roughly 30,000 students enrolled throughout the school year, according to its website.
