A Brampton teen is in critical but stable condition after being beaten to within an inch of his life.
The attack on the 16-year-old occurred at about 3pm Monday in the area of Kennedy Rd. and Steeles Ave., near Turner Fenton Secondary School.
Investigators from Peel Regional Police believe as many as five or six people may have been involved in the swarming, which occurred in a parking lot adjacent to the campus and not on school property.
One witness recalled the awful incident.
"He was walking that way by himself, and then all of a sudden a crowd just came and surrounded him," described Meagan Vardy, 17. "I saw a stick go in the air, then 'whack.' Then he was on the floor and everyone scattered."
The victim is a student at the high school, police say, but it's unclear whether those involved in the beating are.
An unknown weapon, possibly a stick, was used to strike the victim, who was rushed to hospital with heavy bleeding and a fractured skull.
Fortunately, police say it looks as though the teen will survive.
"He has been updated to stable condition and is responsive and medical staff advise that he is expected to make a full recovery," said Const. Jennifer Bryer of Peel Police.
There were several witnesses at the scene and investigators were speaking with them hoping to find out who may have been involved in the brutal beating.
"It's a very serious incident and we're not taking it lightly," Bryer said. "We're doing everything we can, and our investigators are working around the clock."
Another student at the school claims fights are commonplace there.
"The school's pretty rough. Cops are here every day," she said. "It's pretty common to have a fight at this school and sometimes they get pretty bad."
The suspects are described as:
Male,
South Asian,
Between 16 and 18 years of age.
There’s no indication on a motive for the attack, and the victim’s name hasn’t been released.
Anyone with information is asked to call the 22 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau at (905) 453-2121 or Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS/8477.
Sadly, these kinds of senseless attacks aren’t without precedent.
Three of the most infamous in the G.T.A. are well remembered.
Fifteen-year-old Matti Baranovski was beaten to death by a gang of youths in G. Ross Lord Park in November 1999 after an argument over some cigarettes. Meir Mariani and William Cochrane were both convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in jail. A third accused was acquitted.
In June of that same year, 15-year-old Jonathan Wamback was walking through another park in Newmarket, when he was set upon by a group of known troublemakers. He tried to run but couldn’t escape the vicious mob.
They beat him so severely, his parents were warned he would die. He remained in a coma for three months but survived with permanent brain damage. His struggle to return to a normal life inspired a movie about his ordeal.
Two young offenders, ages 16 and 17, were later convicted of aggravated assault. Another teen was acquitted.
The case so incensed Wamback’s father Joseph that he has become a tireless crusader for victim’s right, demanding tougher penalties for those who commit violent crimes.
And high school student Drew Stewart was swarmed and brutally beaten by a group of 15 youths when he defended a pregnant friend at a Coxwell restaurant in December 2004.
The teen was remembered as being a person who would always come to someone’s aid. That admirable trait cost him his life.
