Group targets, beats men with sticks

Suspects are likely students, investigators say

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is investigating a series of similar attacks that occurred in northwest Jacksonville.

Police said a man was the target in each incident. A group of students are the potential suspects, according to investigators.

Channel 4 spoke with one man who was the victim in an attack on Lem Turner Road on Friday. 

The victim said he was walking down the street when a group of boys ran up to him and started beating him with a pipe and sticks. 

"I don't know who these guys were, but it's just not right," said the victim, who asked to remain unidentified. "I was like, 'What are y'all doing? Why? I am not that kind of person, why are you beating me up with sticks.'"

To save himself, the man said he ran into the middle of the street. 

"All I did was run out in the middle of traffic and I started running head on with the cars, all I saw were headlights," the victim said. 

The man called 911, but the boys took off, leaving him badly bruised and bloody. 

"It didn't hurt me, it hurt me that people are that mean, that kids these days feel like it's fun to beat someone up," said the victim. 

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office confirms that they are investigating two other similar incidents on Friday. Each of the attacks were just blocks away from each other.