Updated on Sept. 9, 2014; 2:44 p.m. EST: Bay Village, Ohio, Police Chief Mark Spaetzel told CNN that suspects involved in the ice bucket prank have been identified. No names have been released.
A rallying cry for justice has sparked support from Hollywood after one unsuspecting teen was the victim of an appalling act orchestrated by peers.
Last week, Police Chief Mark Spaetzel of Bay Village, Ohio, said his team is looking into a "reprehensible" video of area teenagers dumping feces, urine and spit onto a 15-year-old who has autism, Cleveland.com reported. The parents of the teen, whose last names have not been disclosed for the sake of privacy, said their son believed he was participating in the ALS ice bucket challenge.
As outrage over the incident gained traction nationally, Drew Carey threw his support behind local police efforts to find the perpetrators by offering to donate a $10,000 reward. Newlyweds Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg then pledged on Twitter to each match Carey's $10,000 commitment, while Montel Williams wrote on Facebook that he's also willing to make a donation.
"This has to stop," Williams wrote on his Facebook page, mentioning he'd donate, but would rather speak out against bullying at the Ohio high school where students were involved. "Our kids see what we do, what we say. It's no wonder in a country this polarized things like this happen."
Carey also tweeted on Sunday that he plans to start an online fundraising campaign.
The Bay Village community united in protest after the incident, holding an anti-bullying rally on Sept. 5, according to News Net 5 in Cleveland. Supporters held signs reading messages such as, "Respect for all is a Bay Village value," and, "We stand beside you."
Jim Sammon, who was raised in the area, participated in the rally to ensure his community stood on the side of justice.
"Seeing this in Bay is very telling," Sammon told News Net 5. "It's sad, it's pathetic, it's horrific and I wanted to come out to make sure that the community that I used to belong to and I grew up in is still the same community."
The teen's mother, Diane, discovered the clip of the incident on her son's cell phone last week. She requested Fox 8 News in Cleveland air the footage to garner support for justice.
"To see how many other parents are just as angry as we are, as if it happened to their own child, means a lot to know that there are so many people behind us," Diane told the news source.
The Bay Village police released a statement on Sept. 5 explaining Diane had reported the act against her son a few days prior. The department assured the community that it's working closely with public schools, analyzing the teen's phone (which was used to record the video) and interviewing witnesses to identify those involved in the act.
"As parents and those with friends who have children with autism, we are appalled by the actions of the youth involved in the assault on this young man," the statement reads. "It is sad and disheartening to see this type of behavior from our youth. Those involved will be held accountable for their actions."
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