GEORGETOWN COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – Five teenage males were charged with assault by mob Wednesday in a fight caught on video near Andrews on Tuesday.
All five teens are from Andrews. They are:
- Gunnar Gatlin, 17
- Anthony Holmes, 18
- David Rutledge Junior, 17
- Kenneth Newton, 17
- Alquavion Snow, 17
The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the video, which shows several high school-aged males punching and kicking another teen.
That boy was Trace Judy.
“I just can’t get that image out of my head,” said Trace’s mother Gwynne Gilmer. “I keep seeing my son, he’s my baby, laying on the ground, getting his face and head stomped in.”
Gilmer says he was standing up for a friend, who was supposed to fight one other teen.
“My son and the other boy are friends with his ex-girlfriend,” Gilmer said. “That’s what I’ve been told. So it’s really silly there was a fight to begin with.”
Gilmer says her son’s attackers are from Andrews, while he and his friend are from the Georgetown area.
The video watched more than 16,000 times on Facebook as of Wednesday night shows Trace ganged up on Indian Hut Road, which is a rural, dirt road.
“My son and his friend could have easily been killed with the injuries they sustained,” Gilmer said.
Both of Trace’s eyes are swollen and cut.
He suffered contusions on his forehead and skull.
“The doctor said he was shocked that my son didn’t have a fractured jaw, broken nose, fractured skull,” said Gilmer.
Gilmer says she was shocked to not only see her son’s injuries, but the video online.
“I wanted to throw up to begin with, to know that there’s human beings, children out there that can watch something like that or participate in something like that,” she said. “Boys are going to fight, I know that, but ten-on-one, 12-on-1 is heartbreaking.”
While he wasn’t assaulted in the video, Trace’s friend was also injured.
“His mother told us the doctors actually found an imprint of one of the kids’ shoes embedded in his head,” Gilmer said.
Gilmer she says she hopes everyone involved is fully punished.
“I’m appalled that anyone could do that to another human being and certainly laugh while they’re doing it,” she said.
Gilmer also says she’s proud her son stood up for his friend.
If you have any information about this case, call the Georgetown County sheriff at (843) 545-5102. Anonymous tips can also be sent using Text-A-Tip by dialing 274637 from any text-enabled cell phone, and text the word “GCSOTIP,” followed by your message.
The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office says more arrests are expected.
