Philadelphia police have released security camera footage showing a night of terror and violenceat Temple University last weekend, when nearly 200 youths converged on the campus. The video features an incident near Broad and Oxford streets around 8:30 p.m. Multiple students were walking down Oxford when a group of about 20 minors surrounded them, several seen assaulting them, according to police. One of the victim’s phones was stolen. Two young men were arrested in this assault, and the rest of the group ran off.
In total, four juveniles were arrested and as many as 50 were taken into police custody for assaulting and robbing at least six students, assaulting a police officer and punching a police horse in the face. The mayhem began around 6:45 p.m., the university said, when several hundred juveniles gathered south of campus at Broad and Oxford streets. The mob split into smaller groups, wreaking havoc on and around the North Philly campus. One incident allegedly involved student Christina Lauletta, daughter of Metro US circulation director Joe Lauletta. The 19-year-old sophomore declined to speak, but her father saida group of dozens of middle school and high school boys and girlsrushed and attacked her and her friends as they walked on Oxford Street off of Broad Street. Only females attacked his daughter. Another student, Melissa, told The Temple News that she was chased by eight to 10 juveniles. She said she lost hearing in her ear for more than a day after one of the minors slapped her in the face. Temple University spokesman Brandon Lauschsaid the university will likely beef up its security for Halloween weekend, anticipating to double the number of officers on patrol.