A disturbing and potentially deadly game known as "Knockout" is gaining new attention after recent incidents were reported in New York and Washington, D.C., within the last week. We want to warn you, some of the images you're about to see might be unsettling.
In the game, teens and some young adults will walk up to someone with the goal of punching them in the head so hard it knocks them out. In some cases, it's recorded on cell phones and published online. (Via WUSA)
Earlier this week near D.C., a 27-year-old woman told WJLA she was attacked by a teen who was playing the game but wasn't knocked out.
REPORTER: "She was walking home along a busy section of 14th Street in Columbia Heights. A group of teens on bicycles came up behind her, one punched her in the back of her head hard, and the group rode off laughing."
While that's the most recently reported incident, WRC-TV reports the attacks have been going on for several years, often with devastating results.
REPORTER: "This one in Pittsburgh resulted in life-threatening injuries to a teacher. Another case in Chicago caused the death of a 62-year-old grandfather."
Most of the attacks have been reported as random, but in some cases, it seems personal.
In two recent incidents, a 19-year-old and a 12-year-old were both allegedly targeted by teens playing this so-called game. Some, including a victim's father, told WCBS they thought it was tied to them being Jewish.
Authorities say it's hard to find those responsible for any of the attacks, but if caught, the consequences can be serious.
For example, after a man in St. Louis was killed from the Knockout game back in 2011, his attacker was found guilty and sentenced to 55 years in prison for murder and first-degree assault. (Via KTVI)
And The Post-Standard reports a 15-year-old boy found guilty of killing a man in Syracuse, N.Y., was sentenced to 18 months in confinement. Another Syracuse teen is facing first-degree manslaughter charges for a separate incident.
