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Two teenage girls were attacked by older teens in Kissena Park, Queens.
The assault occurred on May 2 while the victims played basketball.
The attackers, aged 16 to 17, reportedly used a baseball bat during the attack.
Two teenage girls were brutally attacked by a group of teenagers in a New York City park earlier this month, in a violent assault that has sparked outrage and calls for further investigation, the New York Post reported.
The incident took place on May 2 in Kissena Park, Queens. According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), a 13-year-old and a 16-year-old were playing basketball around 6 p.m. when a group of older teens confronted them.
The group, which included four 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old, allegedly dragged the girls into a wooded area, assaulted them with a baseball bat, and stole their belongings. In a particularly disturbing act, part of the older girl’s head was shaved using an electric hair clipper. The attackers also took her mobile phone and the younger girl’s limited-edition sneakers, valued at over $500, police said.
Disturbing footage of the assault, shared on social media, shows the 13-year-old being beaten repeatedly with a bat while curled up on the ground. One of the attackers is seen removing her shoes and hitting her again. The 16-year-old was also left visibly injured, with photos showing large bruises on her back and a section of hair missing.
The victims, both of Chinese descent, reportedly knew their attackers. Authorities have not classified the assault as a hate crime, and the motive remains under investigation. One of the girls reportedly lost consciousness during the two-hour ordeal, local media reported.
Police have arrested five teenagers-three 17-year-old boys, a 17-year-old girl, and a 16-year-old boy-on charges including felony robbery, assault, gang assault, strangulation, harassment, weapons possession, and grand larceny.
The case is currently being treated as a robbery due to the theft of personal items, but the victims’ families have urged authorities to investigate further, calling the assault a planned and “inhumane” act.
The attack has renewed concerns about safety in Kissena Park, which was also the site of a separate violent incident last year, when a 13-year-old girl was raped in a wooded section of the park.