The teens, all males 17 and 16, were charged with aggravated battery, criminal damage to property and mob action. Some allegedly took inspiration for the crimes from social media.

Summary

Eleven Illinois teens face felony charges after allegedly luring two men via dating apps and assaulting them last July.

Inspired by a viral social media trend, the teens attacked a 41-year-old and a 23-year-old in separate incidents, damaging vehicles and using slurs in one case, resulting in hate crime charges for one teen.

All suspects turned themselves in and were detained at a juvenile center.

Police urge parents to discuss the dangers of social media trends with their children to prevent such incidents.

  • TommySoda@lemmy.world
    50·
    4 months ago

    They refrain from mentioning what trend, what dating app, and what slurs these teens were using. But based off context my best guess is that these guys were convincing some gay men they were down to hook up only to just assault them instead. Why you would want to do this, I have no idea. I know kids do shitty things but I think these guys were just shitty people.

    And what kind of fucking internet trend involves luring people just to assault them? If that’s the kinda content you consume as an individual you’re a fucking idiot.

    • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
      20·
      4 months ago

      Yeah, social media trends aren’t the problem here. Being a piece of shit is the problem.

      • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
        11·
        4 months ago

        Social media is a factor. Unmoderated content encouraging violence results in events like these.

        • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
          33·
          4 months ago

          Is it though? That kind of sounds like the next iteration of blaming movies/video games/d&d/whatever the latest crazy is.

          • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
            23·
            4 months ago

            This one has scientific backing. Just Google any combination of terms and you’ll find studies showing harm.

    • irotsoma@lemmy.worldEnglish
      12·
      4 months ago

      The trend is of homophobes luring homosexual men to be attacked using the app Gr*****r. It’s been gaining steam since Trump won the first time and has escalated again after the latest win. In many places it will not be prosecuted unless it gains media attention. And most gay men in those kinda of areas don’t want to be out, so don’t even report it. So it’s becoming more common.

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
        5·
        4 months ago

        And the solution is to make such hate crimes dangerous. Gay bashing used to be more common, but armed f*gs bash back, and that reduced it