CHARLESTON, SC – Police say between 11:30 p.m. Saturday night and 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning, a group of at least 15 teens assaulted several people. News 2’s Travis Rice spoke exclusively to a woman that confronted the juveniles during the crime spree.
Kathleen Russell says “it was like swarms of bees I guess all where it just kind of comes in and they’re all yelling and screaming and then i’ve never seen so many police men coming down the street and the kids would disperse real quickly.” Kathleen lives downtown Charleston and has had to tell late nighters to quiet down before. She says “the college kids would say ooh I’m sorry miss and be quiet and in this case their was quite a different response”
Saturday was a different story, Russell says more than a dozen teenagers terrorized her street. She says “they we’re angry and we’re like this is what we’re going to do.”
One teenager tried to take Russell’s cell phone, knocking it to the ground where another juvenile tried to grab it again.
Kathleen said “the girl in front of me took a belt off and said lady, you’re gonna get it, you’re gonna really get it.”
The group eventually left Russell alone, but not others. Police say a group of kids snatched a purse from a woman near Rutledge and Cannon on Saturday night.
Later, Police responded to Vanderhorst and Coming where five men told Police that teens assaulted them.
Police say no one was seriously injured, but Russell wonders what’s next for the young group. She said, “I saw this group and I envisioned them – what’s gonna happen in 10 years.”
The events on Saturday prompted an all campus crime alert for students and faculty members at MUSC, however MUSC has not said if any students were affected by Saturday’s crime spree.
The Campus alert which was sent out at 2:11 A.M. said, “Please be advised there has been a report of 15 black males assaulting and robbing suspects walking near MUSC campus area, The last incident occurred at Rutledge and Cannon about 30 minutes ago. Please notify MUSC Public Safety of any suspicious person or activities in the area.
A spokesperson for MUSC says the text alert was sent out since the crimes occurred near campus.
