‘Mob mentality’ erupts at bonfire and 4 people are ‘brutally beaten,’ Florida cops say

A “mob mentality” spread during a bonfire gathering, resulting in four people being “brutally beaten” in the dark after a prank misfired, according to investigators in Florida.

The attack happened after 11 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, in DeLeon Springs, and the victims required hospitalization, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office said in a video posted Jan. 29 on Facebook.

Ten people have been identified as suspects, ranging in age from 16 to 20, the sheriff’s office said.

The alcohol-fueled crowd turned vicious after the driver of a parked pickup suddenly moved his vehicle, causing people to tumble off the truck’s bed, investigators say. The driver thought “it would be funny,” officials say.

“A melee breaks out over the incident ... and the driver of the truck and some other people — we’re up to four victims now — are brutally beaten,” Sheriff Michael Chitwood said during the news conference posted on Facebook.

“I would describe it as a mob mentality. This was a frenzy. That’s how people get killed. ... There’s alcohol involved. There’s a lot of testosterone involved and next thing you know, you have what you saw.”

Cell phone video was posted on social media, showing people leaped off the back of a pickup and landed on top of the victims, while others kicked and punched them.

The beatings continued even as victims were helpless on the ground, the video shows.

“That is a like a wolf pack, just beating down somebody for pulling a practical joke that they didn’t like” Chitwood said.

Among the injuries were a dislocated shoulder and a concussion, and one person had to have four staples put in his head after being struck with brass knuckles, officials said.

Investigators say someone also took a victim’s wallet and used it to buy breakfast for a group of people at a diner.

“I know the parents don’t want to hear their kids are scumbags,” Chitwood said. “Your kid’s a scumbag when you beat somebody into the ground like that and then you manage to take his wallet and you go drive up the road and buy yourself and your friends breakfast.”

The suspects include six adults and four juveniles, he said. Seven of the 10 had been arrested as of Jan. 30 and charged with aggravated battery and inciting a riot, officials said.

Arrest warrants have been issued for the three who remain at large.

The bonfire began in Deltona and the attack happened when the crowd moved to DeLeon Springs, which is about a 45-mile drive north from Orlando.

Such events are believed to be common in the area, and Chitwood said his department is working to identify the locations and have property owners post them as off limits to trespassers.

This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 10:49 AM with the headline "‘Mob mentality’ erupts at bonfire and 4 people are ‘brutally beaten,’ Florida cops say."