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Chicago Teen Beating: 7 Charged In Brutal Attack Caught On Video (GRAPHIC VIDEO)

First Posted: 01/17/12 05:43 PM ET Updated: 01/19/12 07:59 AM ET

Updated story

Seven teens were charged early Wednesday in connection with the brutal beating, captured on video and posted on YouTube, of a 17-year-old boy in an alley in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood.

Raymond Palomino, 17, of the 3500 block of South Hoyne Avenue, is the only one of the seven being charged as an adult in the attack, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. He faces charges of robbery and aggravated battery, both felonies. His bail was set at $100,000 Wednesday, an amount his attorney, Ilia Usharovich, called a "spit in the face," NBC Chicago reports.

The rest of the youths, including two 16-year-old boys, three 15-year-old boys and one 15-year-old girl, have all been cited on the same charges and turned over to the juvenile detention center, the Chicago Tribune reports. Due to their age, their identities have not been made public and all but one of them live in Chicago -- the other is from Arlington Heights.

The attack took place around 4 p.m. Sunday in an alley behind James Ward Elementary School, located at 28th and Princeton.

(Click here to view the original YouTube video, which contains graphic violence and language that may be unsuitable for some audiences, of the attack. Scroll down to watch Mayor Emanuel comment on the beating.)

The YouTube video shows the 17-year-old victim, a Curie High School senior, being punched in the face and kicked repeatedly by a group of attackers while being taunted with racial slurs over the course of more than three minutes. His attackers also robbed the victim of $180 in cash, in addition to his sneakers.

The beating victim ran away, shoeless, was taken to Mercy Hospital and Medical Center and was released, according to the Tribune.

Authorities do not believe the beating was racially motivated.

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy told CBS Chicago that the attack was not an isolated situation, though it appeared to be retaliation for an earlier incident where the victim, allegedly, participated in a separate attack where some 20 teens jumped on two others last fall.

"This is a dynamic that has been going on for a while," McCarthy told CBS.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel weighed in on the beating on Tuesday and said that it should serve as "a wake-up call to all of us," NBC Chicago reports.

"Those kids doing that to another child is wrong. It is not tolerable and it does not represent what this city's values are and the good people of this city," Emanuel continued.

Area resident Carl Segvich commented to ABC Chicago that he was "outraged" by the attack.

"We have war in our cities right now, and if they would have had a gun, they would have probably shot the poor kid," Segvich told ABC.

WATCH the mayor comment on the beating:

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Updated story Seven teens were charged early Wednesday in connection with the brutal beating, captured on video and posted on YouTube, of a 17-year-old boy in an alley in Chicago's Bridgeport neigh...
Updated story Seven teens were charged early Wednesday in connection with the brutal beating, captured on video and posted on YouTube, of a 17-year-old boy in an alley in Chicago's Bridgeport neigh...
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05:46 PM on 01/22/2012
After reading close to 25 pages of comments I decided to chime in with my 2 cents. I ask myself: Was this really racial or was the language what most street kids are using these days, with no regard to the words real definition? Could be. Was it a "Tit for Tat" type of retaliation? The week before the same thing happened but with more involved and the shoe was on the other foot - supposedly. hm... Are the parents to blame for their kids behavior, now that this is public, & in your face news? What should happen now? I suggest let the District Attorney and the Justice Department take whatever action needed to try and curb this behavior from happening again. If it means throwing the book at the law breakers, then by all means do so. Also conduct a thorough investigation into the previous alledged attack and attackers. If possible bring them to justice. What I do know is, this type of behavior does not just belong to any specifice group, age, race, political persons or geographical place. It is prevalent everywhere in this United states. It happens in all types of familys to all kinds of people. And it happens often as reported and seen everywhere every single day. How does change come about? I don't have the answer to that but I wish it would happen soon. It's a sad situation for all involved.
01:08 AM on 01/21/2012
The beating was caused by gang mentality. the person being beaten had 10-19 other people who attacked these 7 people a few days before. This kind of activity is extremely common.
(Just to clear things up if you don't already know)
04:09 PM on 01/23/2012
Where's the information, that you've found this from.
11:30 AM on 01/27/2012
its in the article. did u read it?
09:49 PM on 01/20/2012
I wish they could be put to death ! They all knew better...it was attempted MURDER as far as I am concerned ! then put it on the net...little fockers
01:02 AM on 01/21/2012
Your name may say it all (if your really a mother most likely a helicopter mom) how this "comment" is extremely over exaggerated. If you do have children, and i certainly hope not.You would not be sentencing them to death. Stuff like this is extremely common.

But this was not a random attack. The person who was being attacked had 10 other people who attacked the people being charged now a few days before. The reason why the other people were not charge is because they were not stupid enough to video tape it.
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SalesmanForLife
Happy Humanist!
04:00 AM on 01/22/2012
Wow, make sure you show your true side in any jury duty requests.
09:47 PM on 01/20/2012
Here in Chicago they are saying these little monsters were let go to their moms and dads...
06:45 PM on 01/20/2012
I feel bad for the kid. But, he can't definitely take multiple kicks and punches to the head. Lucky he didn't get KO'd, who knows what would've happened then.
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Matt Hotz
10:48 AM on 01/20/2012
Bridgeport is an interesting neighborhood on the threshold of much, in the middle of much more and all the while, going through many changes and patterns of gentrification. And with that, this all creates additional stresses. Sadly, there is also a larger culture which openly and flagrantly taunts and allows the aforementioned stresses to foment and for these conditions to become reality.
04:46 PM on 01/19/2012
Gee, their moms and dad's....if there are dads, must be very proud of their young thugs.
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B Kleitz
ghost hunter grammy DeadHead
01:59 PM on 01/20/2012
No, there are not dads, there are sperm donor's, and "baby daddy's" and a few exceptions to that rule.
The women who have the children are just as responsible because they do not DEMAND that their men folk STAND UP AND BE MEN.
I don't know...maybe I'm just too old school, or sexist(I'm a 46 year old wife mother/grandmother)...but I just feel that once two young people get into sex, do it irresponsibly without protection, and end up with children of their own, they are no longer kids. They are PARENTS. And if they can't handle it, if they can't STOP being selfish me me me little kids themselves, then they need to either give up those children to the thousand's of people waiting to adopt, or, as much as it pains me to say this, have an abortion.
Women wanted equal rights...well, THAT comes with EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY, especially to the children we bare.
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Jai Hro
03:40 PM on 01/19/2012
I also think they should be charged with attempted murder. Why, when 7 people beat on one person there is usually one result, death. This child was lucky to survive this but others are not always as we saw on the south side when that one honor student was hit in the head and killed. Parents...talk to your children. If you don't define them then the streets will.
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B Kleitz
ghost hunter grammy DeadHead
02:07 PM on 01/20/2012
Too many parents trying to be their kids "friends", "pals"...instead of PARENTS.
Now that my children are completely grown, with children of their own, I can BE their friend. But when they were little, they didn't need another friend, they needed me to be their MOTHER.
Mother, teacher, security guard, spy, jailer, WHATEVER I needed to do to make sure they grew up to be responsible members of society with healthy pride in themselves.
I am 46, and I see the damage that has come from being just too damn free to give into the "if it feels good do it" mentality.
I see the way some young people are raising their small children, and wow...it really scares me.
No one believes in discipline or personal responsibility anymore...no consequences for bad behavior....wow........
Is it just me who sees this?
02:34 PM on 01/19/2012
the mult-ethnic gang has become a reality. What would Derrida say about this?
02:33 PM on 01/19/2012
Whoa. Seriously? These kids have been watching too much family guy to actually implement the multi-ethnic gang. this is truly a postmodern crime.
02:11 PM on 01/19/2012
This type of crap is so disturbing. What are these young adults thinking and what are there parents teaching them? Apparently they aren't being taught. I have two teenage sons and they wouldn't even think about doing this to someone they really don't like. This happened and its on tape. No questions about what happened. I think the government needs to step in and just put all those involved in the beating to death. I would guarantee that others would think twice about doing something like this if they thought they would actually be punished for what they do. Sorry parents but you need to raise your children the correct way. If the govenment would start getting rid of these thugs/criminals (those that hurt others) then the earth would be a better place.
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celtcalgal
alba gubrath
12:09 PM on 01/19/2012
one does'nt have to be a certain color or race for evil to exist, its a Human trait.
10:29 AM on 01/19/2012
Chicago is a result of what this country would look like if Democrats ran everything.
11:02 AM on 01/19/2012
I live in Southwest Virginia where Republicans run everything, and this type of thing happens here constantly. A month ago a Radford University student shot a police officer and then killed himself in a Virginia Tech parking garage. A week later the kicker for the Virginia Tech football team and two of his friends tried to attack another student at gunpoint because they thought he had stolen weed from them. Dont be naive and spew canned rhetoric.
12:00 PM on 01/19/2012
This is a very ignorant generalization. I can tell you represent the very brightest of the GOP.
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Ken Koziol
09:51 AM on 01/19/2012
What do you expect from obamas home town.
10:29 AM on 01/19/2012
You're right, the bagger mentality exists everywhere.
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celtcalgal
alba gubrath
12:05 PM on 01/19/2012
also here in L A.
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11:32 PM on 01/19/2012
Looks like those baggers are a diverse bunch. Gotta give them that much.
06:04 PM on 01/19/2012
His Hometown is Hawaii
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09:06 AM on 01/19/2012
How does this differ honestly from the good Christian kids of the same age in RI threatening an atheist because a Judge ruled in her favor in a public school case? I think this shows the same issues of hate taught to kids. http://www.geekfamily.co.uk/lord-of-the-flies/2012/01/14 It's the kill mentality that must be learned somewhere?