14 DAY TRIAL // A violent game played among teens as a “macho” demonstration of strength has turned deadly in Hoboken. A homeless man has been attacked and killed, and the incident has yielded three arrests.
NewsOne writes that the teenagers were playing a game of “Knockout,” during which a person is punched once.
The “player” attacks a random person on the street and tries to have them fall and lose consciousness in once punch.
Witnesses describe that the victims are picked for being “alone and defenseless.” The game is usually played in groups where one members randomly attacks a person walking down the street in a play to show off their physical strength.
New York Daily News writes that two 13-year-olds and a third 14-year-old boy are under arrest for the killing of Ralph Erick Santiago while playing the game.
46-year-old Santiago was followed on Third Street and knocked out on September 10. He fell onto an iron fence and his neck was stuck between two posts.
“He was just a loving person, cared about everybody, very spiritual. And it just wasn’t deserved,” his cousin expresses.
Santiago was a gymnast and break dancer before being injured in a similar attack 27 years ago. He was left with brain damage and a disability.
NJ.com reveals that he was randomly attacked when walking near a public housing complex with a group of friends.
His head hit the concrete and he was severely beaten, with the attack leaving him in a coma for a month. He was bruised and cut beyond recognition, and he was identified by his former girlfriend, who noticed a birthmark on his hand.
An interview with other teens who are aware of the game has been posted beneath this article. The majority of them are African Americans, while most of the victims of the game are Caucasian.
Don't hesitate to leave your opinion about the game in the comments section.