Attorney: Teens in KKK garb shocked Black teen with stun gun

attorney for a Black teenr from Texas says several or teens attacked his client with a stun gun on Halloween while wearing costumes resembling Ku Klux Klan robes.

At a news conference Wednesday, Matt Manning of Corpus Christi said attack involved high school students in Woodsboro, a small town 30 miles rth of Corpus Christi. He said his client was t seriously injured, and he declined to identify all involved because y were juveniles.

re were as many as six victims, all juveniles, Manning said. five or victims were t shocked but may have been chased or orwise terrorized, he said.

“For you to dress up as a Klansman, you have a specific intent of terrorizing,” Manning said. “That’s t an accident. That’s t kids being kids. That’s t boys being boys. That’s t hazing or high school hijinks. High school hijinks are egging somebody’s house, t dressing up as a Klansman and Tasing m.”

Refugio County sheriff’s deputies were called to Woodsboro by report of a teen shocked with a “Taser or cattle-prod-like” device, Sheriff Raul “Pinky” Gonzales told Victoria vocate. re were immediate arrests or criminal charges, Assistant District Attorney Tim Poynter said. Woodsboro police, Refugio County deputies and Texas Rangers continue to investigate.

Manning didn’t specify race of assailants, but Jeremy Lane Coleman, Corpus Christi NAACP chapter president, said he was calling assault a hate crime until evidence showed orwise.

Woodsboro school district officials said y were cooperating with investigators.