Four black teenagers are the subject of ethnic intimidation charges having been identified after an attack that was caught on camera, on a group of Asian students riding a Philadelphia train earlier this week.
Four students including three men and a female student were traveling on the train on Wednesday from North Philadelphia when the attack by four black girls ranging in ages from 13-16, occurred.
Thomas Nestel, police chief for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) said the attack as unprovoked and had been based the group's ethnicity noting that 'ethnic slurs were used by the attackers.'
Police said 'ethnic slurs were repeated and directed at them and mocking them for their heritage... it was clear they were picked on because they were Asian,' Nestel explained.
The Mayor of Philadelphia said the city would not tolerate such acts of hate and that he was appalled after hearing learning about the incident
Shocking video captured the group black teenage girls brutally threw punches and screamed profanities at the Asian students.
Nestel revealed how the mother of one of the teen suspects recognized her own daughter from the video and informed the police.
Each member of the group, who were not identified, has been charged with aggravated assault, ethnic intimidation, criminal conspiracy, simple assault, disorderly conduct, and a recklessly endangering another person, according to Krasner, the district attorney.
One of the suspects was also charged with robbery for attempted theft of a victim's air pods, the prosecutor said.
The Mayor of Philadelphia said the city would not tolerate such acts of hate and that he was appalled after hearing learning about the incident.
'Those involved in the assault have been identified and will be held accountable. I want our residents to know that we will not tolerate any acts of hate,' Kenney tweeted.
A group of black students attacked a group of Asian students on a Philadelphia SEPTA train on Wednesday. The girls ranging in ages 13-16 have now been identified and charged
A girl in a different black jacket screamed at the group too, yelling: 'Don't try that s**t again'
It is unclear what sparked the feud, but video footage shows a girl in an all-pink outfit and a black ski mask screaming profanities at around 3.30pm on Wednesday.
The video opens with the girl in pink screaming at a group of Asian boys while another in a black quarter-zip jacket punches one who is wearing a red jacket.
The girl in pink appears to say, 'You want to doubt my people,' before firing off a string of profanities.
'You want to come on, b***ch? You want to try me, b***ch, f**king try me, I'll f**king beat ya,' she continued screaming as she stood over the the group of sitting boys.
A group of three girls stomped on an Asian girl after the girl wearing pink backed her against the train doors and she fell to the ground
The Asian girl (in yellow) screamed as the group of girls stomped on her
She also yelled at a female Asian student standing near the boys.
Another girl, dressed in a black sweater that reads 'confidence collection thurl' across the chest, pointed her finger and screamed at the boys: 'Don't try that s**t again. Don't try that s**t again.'
It is unclear what the other students did to anger the girls.
An older girl, dressed in black with a black bandana over her hair, stepped in and pointed at the boy sitting close
