4 People In Custody After 'Brutal' Alleged Torture Streamed On Facebook Live

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 5, 2017 5:55AM

The attack to place at 3400 West Lexington, via Google Street View

Two men and two women are in police custody after the attack of a mentally disabled man was broadcast on Facebook Live, police said.

In the video—which was subsequently widely circulated on YouTube and social media—the victim is seen with his mouth duct-taped shut. An assailant appears to slice open the victim's sweatshirt and cut his scalp, making him bleed, while cutting at his hair with a knife. People in the video are also heard yelling “Fuck Trump” and “Fuck white people” at points.

In a briefing on Wednesday evening, police said that officers discovered the 18-year-old victim near Homan and Lexington on Tuesday in a traumatic state. The incident happened at a nearby residence in the 3400 block of West Lexington Street, near Homan Square.

Supt. Eddie Johnson called the incident "a brutal act."

"It’s sickening,” Johnson said later in the press conference.“It’s makes you wonder what would make individuals treat somebody like that. I’ve been a cop for 28 years, and I’ve seen things that you shouldn’t see in a lifetime, but it still amazes me how you still see things that you just shouldn’t.”

The victim, a special-needs suburban man who had been reported missing, was acquainted with and went to school with one of the suspects, Police Commander Kevin Duffin said. Duffin said it was “quite a possibility” the attack was a kidnapping, but also added that it appears the victim initially went voluntarily with the one person he knew. No formal charges have yet been brought. Charges are expected within the next 24 hours, police said.

Police said the victim was with the suspects for at least 24 hours and possibly as long as 48 hours.

When asked about the anti-Trump profanity, Duffin said, “young adults make stupid decisions,” and added that authorities would have to determine if the comments were sincere—“or just stupid ranting and raving”—when considering the possibility of hate crime charges.

"I think some of it is just stupidity, people just ranting about something that they think might make a headline," Johnson said, according to Fox. "I don't think that at this point we have anything concrete to really point us in [the direction of political motivation], but we'll keep investigating, and we'll let the facts guide us on how this concludes."

Three of the suspects are from Chicago and one is from northwest suburban Carpentersville, police said.