Massachusetts police look to charge teens accused of random assault on elderly Christmas carolers

Police in Massachusetts say that two teenage boys will be charged with assault and battery on a person 60 and over after the teens were accused of a random punching attack on a group of Christmas carolers.

The attack allegedly occurred on Sunday in the Dorchester area of Boston. According to WBZ-TV, the carolers represented the Church of the Holy Spirit in Mattapan, and were present at a house on Johnston Road at around 3pm in the afternoon to carol for an 88-year-old stroke victim who was the mother of parishioner Veronica Trotman. Trotman told WBZ that she "brought my mom to the window so she could hear it. I saw the two guys come across the street, but I didn't know what they were going to do."

According to Trotman, the caroling abruptly stopped when the teens punched two of the carolers multiple times in the back of the head. Neighbors told WBZ that the teens injured two women in their late 70s. The police report indicates that one of the women sustained a concussion and the other refused medical treatment on the scene.

Witnesses on the street heard the screams and were able to provide descriptions of the suspects to the police, The police arrested the teens on Thursday. According to police, they were able to review security footage which showed the teenagers approach the carolers from behind while they were singing "Silent Night," then count to three before simultaneously swinging at the old women.

Neighbor Jalen Applewhite told Boston's Channel 25, "Kids nowadays be going crazy. I understand what it’s like to be out having fun, but you can’t be hitting old ladies."

Police indicated they suspect the teens may have been playing the cowardly "knockout game," in which teenagers dangerously attempt to knock out unsuspecting people, often targeting the elderly.