A twenty-second video of a teenager being punched in the back of his head has gone viral and, with it, outrage has grown not only over the attack but to the reaction of mall management where the incident took place. The incident, one of the latest in a brutal street game where teenage assailants walk up behind strangers and attempt to knock them out with a single punch to the back of their heads, took place in Coronado Mall in Albuquerque. In the video, which was shot by the assailant’s friend on his cell phone, Issaic (whose last name is being held on account of his age) is walking toward an eatery, another teen is shown racing up to him, punching him violently on the back of the head and then running off into the distance. Mall officials, who are yet to issue an official statement, have banned both teenagers from the mall for one year.
Issaic stated that the contretemps began after he and a female got into a fight online. As a result of that, another teen started making threats.“Whenever he wanted to fight me he was calling me a (gay slur) and a queer and everything,” said Issaic.
When the teens found themselves both at Coronado Mall on the same Saturday, words were exchanged and they were asked to leave.
But as Issaic walked toward the door, the 16-year-old boy attacked him.
“He just didn’t like me being gay,” said Issaic.”I’m used to it, but I’m just like, ‘Why would you want to fight someone over that.'”
When the community learned that Issaic had been banned by mall management along with the assailant, anger grew. They are asking why an innocent bystander who had nothing to do with the provocation was banned from re-entering the mall for one year.
