Viral Video Furor: Smiling Teens On Apparent Minneapolis Mugging Spree

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Caught on Tape

(CBS/WCCO/YouTube)

Photo: Screen grab of teens taping themselves during assaults and muggings.

MINNEAPOLIS (CBS/WCCO) Police are looking into a viral video that appears to show a group of teenage boys engaged in a mugging spree in Minneapolis and St. Paul, while showing anything but remorse.

The YouTube video shows the boys smiling as they attack a man on a bike, a jogger and some young kids.

The "stars" of the video, which was posted on YouTube but was subsequently removed Tuesday afternoon, make no attempt to hide their identities.

They are shown smiling at the camera before ambushing their victims. One of them dons a mask depicting Heath Ledger's Joker from the film "The Dark Knight."

VIDEO COURTESY OF CBS AFFILIATE WCCO-TV

The video has gone viral, with links passed around on message boards and social networking sites.

Police are taking it seriously, too.

St. Paul police have arrested two teenagers in the case and are seeking more suspects, said Sgt. Paul Schnell. Minneapolis police said they have arrested three juveniles they believe could be involved.

Schnell said it's believed the video was shot sometime last weekend.

"I'm hoping these things were staged... they are very concerning," said Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan, adding that police are asking any victims to come forward if they were attacked by the boys in the video.

Investigators are also looking into whether any crime reports match up with locations depicted in the video.

Story Contributed by CBS Affiliate WCCO-TV

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by copsucker January 2, 2010 6:45 PM EST: Hey wait a minute here.....why does it have to be a black and white thing?
Bunch of stupid kids...and won't they learn? Maybe when their caught...how stupid their actions were caught on tape by their own admission...really a bunch of brainless idiots....low iq's smoking that sherm, they looked for a worm, thought they caught them a worm while they were smoking that sherm, upload some more of your escapades bunch of aassclownassswipes.; Reply to this comment


by ukmitzi December 1, 2009 11:39 AM EST: I dont think this is staged, or at least not all of it, take a look at the guy on the bike with the red hat on, he looks quite elderly compared to the "kids"
this is disgusting, anything like this could bring on a heart attack, if the victim was so frightend!! There is 1 with a kid looks to me like his on hos way to school with a backpack on, he now might be too scared to take that walk!
also they say there have been no reports of any muggings, well id be embarassed to go in the police stn just to report my hat being stolen or i was knocked off my bike!! so maybe these people were also, but hopefully they will hear about this tape and go straight to the police!

Here in the UK they have kids doing simlar things, its called happy slapping, they film it then put it on youtube...Id like to think that 1 day they would get slapped back, very hard!!!; Reply to this comment


by tonlo November 22, 2009 1:30 PM EST: Why is this even a race issue? If a crime is committed and it was by a white person I would feel no obligation to defend them. This is on tape...how can anyone defend them? I wish everyone would judge people based on the crime & the evidence. Stop defending & making excuses just because you might be the same race. I would not defend a criminal if they were my own relative. I would love them but not defend them.; Reply to this comment


by excop1949 November 20, 2009 9:33 AM EST: Well, I'm not KKK, but I am CHL...and would be happy to use it if I was mugged.; Reply to this comment

by jblackme November 20, 2009 5:42 AM EST

they'r just punk kids. i didn't see anyone in the video get beat. OH NO! HE WAS KNOCKED OFF THE BIKE! HE CHASED SOME KIDS! This probably was staged. I didn't see anyone get robbed except a missing hat.

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by I_am_me1953 November 20, 2009 8:07 AM EST: Golly Geeze.

You are just as bad as the police wanting to give these "kids" a "get out of jail free" card.

I doubt these acts were "staged", but now that the policechief has offered alibis you can bet a defense attorney will grab it and run.

These kids are punks and need to learn to accept personal responsability for their actions, but wait, you are saying they don't have to accpept responsability.

No wonder American society is going down into the dung hill so fast. We have people like you willing to throw it away so these "sweet kids" can have a little weekend fun, no one was robbed, no one was shot, no one appeared to need emergency care, no harm done.

Completely idiotic thinking.


by proudmilvet November 20, 2009 2:43 AM EST: Will Black people ever take responsibility for their own actions? When will they realize that this is the reason why so many of them are in Jail? It's not because of racial predjudice, it's because they commit so much of the crime in proportion to their being only about 11 or 12% of the population.; Reply to this comment


by 29westshore November 19, 2009 9:23 PM EST: After reading the headline and before seeing the video, I wondered whether these cowards were black or black. I would love to introduce all of them to my best two friends - Smith and Wesson.; Reply to this comment


by 29westshore November 19, 2009 9:23 PM EST: After reading the headline and before seeing the video, I wondered whether these cowards were black or black. I would love to introduce all of them to my best two friends - Smith and Wesson.; Reply to this comment

by longtree-2009 November 19, 2009 7:06 PM EST

obama must be proud. negros on the rampage. they don't deserve to be called respectfully, blacks or african-americans. most have other words to call them but can't do so on comment boards as it wouldn't be pc. does anyone wonder why racism is alive and well, and growing these days?

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by andacar November 20, 2009 1:20 AM EST: How in the bloody hell do you blame this on Obama? I'm a Democrat, and in my wildest problems with george Bush, I never blamed him for any white on white muggings. You're delusional, or very paranoid. And you have the nerve to complain about racism? Look in the mirror.


by longtree-2009 November 19, 2009 6:49 PM EST: we should all be allowed to carry a gun, if we want one, so criminals can be shot dead. isn't it obvious to everyone yet, that law enforcement officers cannot protect each and everyone of us? look up the stats in your area, bet there is 1-3 cops for every thousand citizens and not all of them on the same shift. so first line of defense is on each of us. time to take back the streets from these criminals, shoot to put them in the ground.; Reply to this comment