Disturbing footage has captured a group assault on a man in Baltimore, with multiple attackers seen discharging a barrage of fireworks, some targeted at the victim’s face from point-blank range.
In a series of videos recently shared to social media, about half a dozen assailants – including one who appears to be a child – are shown shooting fireworks into a parked car to lure out a man hiding inside it.
Baltimore City, Maryland, June 23, 2020. Unknown what happened prior or after.Cities being inundated with Roman Candles. How? Why? #romancandles #baltimorecity #dangerousanddeadlyweapon #fireworks #fireworksconspiracy pic.twitter.com/CVXJhZjGqG
— Turnbull Brockmeyer Law Group (@TBLawGroup) June 25, 2020
People using fireworks in Southwest Baltimore against a man. What say you? #WrongisWrong pic.twitter.com/4c63YCEBis
— Jochi Sotolongo Lorente (@MedioAlt) June 25, 2020
The victim was soon forced out of the vehicle and the assault then continued in the street, with the attackers setting off dozens of salvos, many of them hitting the man directly in the face from just inches away as he unsuccessfully tried to block the shots with his hands.
The assailants, who are seen gleefully laughing throughout the attack, also made use of a trash can at one point, putting it over the victim’s head as they continued to pelt him with pyrotechnics.
While initial reports suggested the incident took place in Minneapolis, a local media outlet in Maryland has since clarified it was somewhere in southwest Baltimore. The circumstances surrounding the attack remain unclear, and it is unknown if the victim suffered any significant injuries.
Some activists have weaponized fireworks amid police brutality protests in recent weeks, which have seen demonstrators target officers – and at times random bystanders – with M80s, mortars, and Roman candles, among other small explosives.
Beyond the protests, cities around the US have also reported a mysterious and massive spike in noise complaints linked to fireworks, with countless images appearing on social media showing full-blown “fireworks wars” in some neighborhoods.