Video that went viral on social media this week showing a young girl being beaten by a large group is now the center of a criminal investigation, Chicago police said Tuesday.
The video, which was shared on Twitter Tuesday and has been seen more than 120,000 times in less than 24 hours, “has been forwarded to the Chicago Police Special Victims Unit and a criminal investigation has been opened,” Chicago Police Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted Tuesday evening.
“This is beyond disturbing to watch and this young girl deserves far better,” Guglielmi wrote.
Details on where the incident happened and when weren’t immediately clear.
Guglielmi’s post cited a tweet from a user who wrote the video showed her friend with “a mental disability that has been progressing since the passing of her mother” being “jumped” by a group.
“I know this won’t blow up since I’m a small account but please share and rt! I want justice for my friend, she didn’t deserve any of this,” the tweet read.
A community activist said the 15-year-old knew her attackers and considered many of them "friends." Activist Stringer Harris said the girl's father is "very upset" that his daughter was "maliciously beaten."
"The family do know who these kids are and they’re very upset about this because these kids took advantage of this young girl," Harris said.
The teen disappeared following the beating and was found by a friend Tuesday and taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where she is in good condition.
"She was heartbroken about this situation," Harris said.
