Video shows dozens of people taking part in what one witness claims was a game called “Point them out, knock them out” outside of a Kroger grocery store in Memphis Saturday night.
The first victim was a 25-year-old man who was attacked while walking to his car in the Kroger parking lot. As the large mob was beating the man, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old employee rushed to help, WREG reports. They ended up being attacked as well.
The video, filmed by a female by-stander, shows a large group of attackers swarming on one of the Kroger employees.
“Hold on, they got a white dude,” the woman laughs. “Look at them. Let me get out the way.”
The attackers knock the employee to the ground and begin kicking him and stomping on his head while slamming him with large pumpkins on display outside of the store.
A witness to the beatings told WREG that between 100 and 125 teenagers were playing a game he called “Point them out, Knock them out.”
“Where they would point someone out and attempt to knock them out or fight them. There was no real reason behind it,” the witness, a friend of some of the victims, told WREG. “They followed hitting him with a pumpkin. He was already unconscious, so all you could see was blood and pumpkins.”
The game appears to be similar to “Knockout Game.”
The attackers shown on video all appear to be black, raising questions over whether the attacks were racially motivated.
Asked if he believed that were the case, the young man who spoke to WREG said that two other black Kroger employees were attacked helping defend the Kroger customer, who is reportedly white.
He also said that the attacks were the second in as many weeks.
“It is extremely troubling to see how many young people were involved, especially on the heels of last week’s youth forum,” said Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong in a statement. “Last night’s events clearly demonstrates a lack of parental controls and if warranted these parents will also be held accountable.”
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