Onion Editor Emily Guendelsberger Philadelphia 'Flash Mob' Attack

by NowPublic Staff | June 27, 2011 at 10:25 am

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Onion Editor Emily Guendelsberger Was Attacked By Philadelphia 'Flash Mob' on June 25, 2011

Emily Guendelsberger, an editor for The Onion, was attacked in the Philadelphia area by what some are describing as a flash mob.

Police received two reports of teenagers randomly attacking strangers in the Spring Garden area.

One of those attacked was Emily Guendelsberger, who suffered a broken leg. Friend Molly Eichel said:

"We heard kids yell, 'Run, run,' " Eichel said. "Some kid just came out of nowhere and punched my friend Charlie in the face."

Eichel said that when her group tried to run, about 20 teens chased them down the street. "They were kicking kids down and punching them when they were down," she said

Guendelsberger wrote via Twitter:

"So anyway we got flash mobbed, I'm the only one who had to stay at the hospital but many of the dudes with us got pretty fucked up."

She continued:

""Flash mob!" I hate that term. A bunch of us were walking to the subway and we intersected a group of like 100? kids who attacked us."

"On the positive, a bunch of girls from the mob protected me from the boys trying to hit me and take my purse while I was on the ground."

A 20-year-old was also attacked by a group at Broad Street and Fairmount Avenue.

The Emily Guendelsberger attack reminded some locals of a rash of so-called Philadelphia "flash mob" attacks that took place last year.

Ten teenagers were found guilty of felony rioting and conspiracy for their roles in a Feb. 16, 2010 flash mob in Center City. That incident saw more than 150 teenagers wreaking havoc in a Philadelphia shopping mall.

At the time, officials claimed that such flash mobs were a legitimate threat to citizens and damage the city's reputation. Opponents thought Philadelphia flash mob story as overblown fear-mongering.