A 73-year-old Philadelphia man died on June 24 after being beaten with a traffic cone by a group of young people.
James Lambert was crossing a street at around 2:40 a.m. when he was caught by the group, WCAU-TV reported.
Police released surveillance footage of the attack and are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to those responsible.
The footage appears to show three girls and four boys in their teens taking part in the beating.
One of them threw the cone at Lambert as he crossed the street. The teens then chased him, one of the girls holding the cone over her head.
“The teens struck the victim several times with objects, knocking the victim to the ground causing injuries to his head. The victim was transported to the hospital where he died of his injuries the following day,” police said in a blotter.
Lambert’s family told WCAU’s Danny Freeman that they are heartbroken over his death. He went by “Simmie.”
“They’re in disbelief a group of kids did this,” Freeman tweeted.
This is James “Simmie” Lambert, the man who was killed.
His family tells me they’re heart broken and they saw him just hours before he was attacked.
They’re in disbelief a group of kids did this.@NBCPhiladelphia https://t.co/U0Lko1MCf5 pic.twitter.com/gtkY7UVe7I
— Danny Freeman (@DannyEFreeman) July 8, 2022
The attack comes as Philadelphia continues to struggle with crime.
2021 was the deadliest year on record for the city, although homicides are down 2 percent this year, WCAU reported.
Police data shows that there have been 280 murders in Philadelphia in 2022, making it one of the most dangerous cities in the state.
“Within Pennsylvania, more than 95% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Philadelphia,” according to Neighborhood Scout.
“With a crime rate of 39 per one thousand residents, Philadelphia has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes — from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 25.”
