Teen thug finally faces accountability after brutal beating of elderly worker at rap concert

The teenager suspected of brutally beating an elderly worker at a rap concert in Kansas City over a week ago finally has been charged.

The Juvenile Office of the 16th Judicial Circuit in Jackson County on Tuesday filed one felony assault charge and one misdemeanor assault charge against the teen suspect, WDAF-TV reported.

‘Kind of sad things got to this point.’

A viral cellphone video shows a young male knocking down an elderly worker at a Sept. 21 NBA YoungBoy concert at the T-Mobile Center and then delivering well over a dozen blows to the worker’s face and head.

Police confirmed to Blaze News that the suspect is under the age of 16.

WDAF in a previous story said the suspect also assaulted a security guard who ejected him from the venue.

A T-Mobile Center spokesperson told Blaze News that the staff members “sustained serious injuries. After receiving prompt care from on-site first aid personnel, they were later treated at a local hospital for their injuries.”

RELATED: Viral video: High schooler physically attacks teacher in front of other students — then cop gives kid brutal wake-up call

Officer Alayna Gonzalez of the Kansas City Police Department told Blaze News that the “juvenile male was detained and subsequently released to his guardian pending further investigation.” However, police later told Blaze News that detectives on Friday submitted a case file to juvenile court “for consideration of applicable charges” against the teen suspect.

The victim of the attack caught on video — 66-year-old Thomas Schlange — is seen on the clip trying to push away the teenager who towers over him, but Schlange has no chance. The teen begins delivering a flurry of lefts and rights as Schlange is flat on his back and trapped on the floor between two rows of seats.

Schlange told WDAF in a follow-up story, “I went down and had blows to my head,” and that his priority in those moments was “just getting him off, getting him off of me … because he was so enraged, so we were just, in essence, trying to protect the fans.”

So what allegedly set off the suspect?

Witness and local pastor Robert McDaniel told the station the attack commenced after the suspect was told his ticket didn’t match the seat he was in.

“He was asked to move to another place because his ticket wasn’t where he was sitting, and immediately he just completely lost it,” McDaniel recounted to WDAF.

In the viral video of the attack, a man is pulling the teen off Schlange, who appears dazed, and blood is visible around his mouth.

That man who intervened — the only person who stepped up and stopped the brutal beating — is Antonio Clayter.

He described to WDAF in another story what he saw in that moment, noting that Schlange was “just doing his job” when “the kid … just spazzed out, and he pushed him.” When the teen suspect began pummeling Schlange, Clayter appeared in the camera frame and pulled the attacker off.

“I had to,” Clayter recalled to WDAF. “It wasn’t even a feeling; it was something that had to be done. Like, I have family members that are that age. This isn’t right. … I was raised with morals and values. You can’t act like that, especially to our elders.”

RELATED: Male, 19, accused of hitting girlfriend’s baby in head so hard that little girl had to go on ventilator. Now she’s dead.

Clayter also offered a warning to the teen, the station said: “You can’t grow up with that type of mentality, because you’re not gonna get far in life at all. … I’ve been in trouble, and I know what road that you can go down. … You’re not gonna get anywhere good besides prison or dead that way, bro.”

After the charges against the teen were announced Tuesday, Schlange told WDAF that “accountability is important. But [it’s] actually kind of sad things got to this point. Restraint, cooperation, and respect are important lessons to learn.”

The station said hearings in the case are closed to the public, and Missouri law requires the names of juveniles in the juvenile justice system to be confidential.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!