Fury as CNN host says Facebook Live torture case WASN'T EVIL & blames 'bad home training'
A CNN anchor has sensationally claimed footage showing a disabled teenager brutally beaten and tortured by thugs live on Facebook was not evil, and came as a result of “bad home training”.
CNN host on Chicago torture: "I don't think it was evil"
The young man, who has learning difficulties, was seen tied up, gagged and cowering in the corner as his attackers repeatedly beat him in the footage which was streamed live.
The gang could be heard shouting “f*** white people” and “f*** Trump” as they tortured the defenceless 18-year-old in the shocking video from Chicago.
During a discussion about the case, which has since seen four people charged with hate crimes, CNN’s Don Lemon hit back when a panelist branded it an act of evil.
Don Lemon said the sickening video was down to bad home training
I think these are young people and I think they have bad home training
“At the end of the day, you just try to wrap your head around evil,” American columnist Matt Lewis said.
“That’s what this is, it’s evil, it’s brutality, it’s man’s inhumanity to man.”
Lemon did not see the video in the same light as his contributor though.
Although he condoned the sickening attack, the CNN host wasn’t willing to go as far as Lewis and call the attack evil.
“I don’t think it’s evil. I think these are young people and I think they have bad home training,” he said.
The comments were made during a panelist discussion about the attack live on CNN
Police said the boy was targeted because of his special needs, not because he was white
“I have no idea who is raising these young people, because no one I know on earth who is 17 years old or 70 years old would ever think of treating another person like that,” Lemon continued.
“You wonder, at 18 years old, where is your parent, where is your guardian?”
A Chicago police spokesman said on Thursday that while the suspects, all of whom are black, made “terrible racist statements”, the assault did not appear to be racially motivated.
Anthony Guglielmi said early investigations had concluded the teenager was singled out because he had “special needs,” and not because he is white.
Four black teens stream torture of white man on Facebook
Four people have now been charged with hate crimes following the attack
The suspects were identified by police as Jordan Hill, 18, Tesfaye Cooper, 18, and sisters Brittany Covington, 18 and 24-year-old Tanishia Covington.
In addition to hate crimes, the four were charged with kidnapping, aggravated battery and aggravated unlawful restraint.
Three were also charged with burglary.