A gang of youths attacked a 73-year-old man, beating him to death with a traffic cone in the middle of the street while they recorded it, according to horrifying footage that Philadelphia Police released on Friday.
On June 24, seven teenagers chased James Lambert Jr. along Cecil B. Moore Avenue as one of them swung a cone at the back of his head. This horrifying scenario was captured on security cameras.
As the teenagers round the 73-year-old after he collapses on the pavement, a girl picks up the cone once more and flings it at him.
Lambert can be seen getting up and trying to get away as the teens chase him off-camera, with the girl grabbing the cone again and appearing to bash him with it before they disappear off-screen.
Police said Lambert suffered several injuries to the head and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to Lambert’s family, who spoke to NBC10, they were devastated by his passing and in total shock that these young people were apparently responsible.
Police said they hoped the recently released footage and a $20,000 prize would help in their investigation into the event, but none of the seven children shown in the video chasing after Lambert had been detained as of yet.
Police released further footage showing the minor suspects, four boys and three girls, who are thought to be between the ages of 13 and 17, in addition to the video of the event.
One of the male suspects had an obvious blonde hairdo, while another was seen riding a scooter during the entire episode.
Another one of the alleged assailants appeared to be stumbling about, appearing to recreate the moment Lambert fell to the ground during the assault.
Officials said that one of the suspects also appeared to be filming the incident on their phone, but police have yet to find any video of the attack on social media.
Police did not specify what charges the teens would face, and said the final decision would be on the district attorney’s office.
Violence has dramatically increased in the “City of Brotherly Love,” with total crime up more than 25% so far this year compared to the same period in 2021.
While the number of murders and rapes has significantly decreased this year, the number of assaults has only decreased somewhat, from 2,522 instances last year to 2,485 so far this year, a decrease of 1.47 percent.
In the meantime, there have been 5.51 percent more gunshot victims, with police reporting 1,168 instances this year compared to 1,107 occurrences last year.
Robberies have seen the greatest uptick, with 1,427 cases reported this year, up 21.55 percent from the 1,174 reported last year.
Nelson is accused of opening fire after he was expelled from the location after being informed that a league game would prevent him from using a pool table.
The trio of three guys were forced to leave following a struggle with a bouncer, at which point one of them rushed to fetch a pistol from their car.
More than a dozen shots were fired at the front of the bar from a distance of less than 200 feet away, Philadelphia Police Inspector Scott Small told reporters.
As a barrage of bullets flew, Holton, who was standing at the back of the bar was struck in the head where she fell to the ground. She died later at Jefferson-Torresdale Hospital.
Nelson was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force at Harrah’s Casino in Atlantic City on Wednesday.
The Philadelphia Police Department is also looking into gunshots that injured two event security personnel when it erupted during the city’s Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza.
Fortunately, the two cops who were shot on Monday night—Officer Sergio Diggs, 36, and Deputy John Foster, 44—were taken to Jefferson Hospital in stable condition and were released at dawn on Tuesday.
Foster, a member of the Montgomery County Bomb Squad, was shot in the shoulder, and Diggs, a highway patrol officer, had a grazing wound to the head as a result of the incident.
Police are still unsure if the shootings were an intentional attack on the city’s officers, or if they were a result of celebratory bullets ricocheting and striking the men by accident.
Like in the attack with Lambert, Philadelphia police are offering a $20,00 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect.
