The Atlantic

The Desire to Live-Stream Violence

Why would four suspects in Chicago broadcast the torture of a man on Facebook Live?
Source: Getty Images

Two men and two women in Chicago were arrested and charged Thursday with kidnapping and torturing a man, slicing off a piece of his hair, down to his scalp, with a knife. Many people were witness to the assault, because it was streamed on Facebook Live.

Jordan Hill, Tesfaye Cooper, Brittany Covington, all 18, and Tanishia Covington, who is 24 (police had earlier said she was 18, as well), have each been charged with felony aggravated kidnapping, unlawful restraint, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. And because the suspects are all black, the victim white, and because video of the assault shows

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