By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

footage needed from morning of sept. 19

Teen attacked in south Red Deer, RCMP investigating

Sep 22, 2021 | 6:00 PM

WARNING: A photo in this story is graphic and may be disturbing to some readers. rdnewsNOW is using the photo with permission from the family.

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A 13-year-old boy is recovering after allegedly being beaten in southeast Red Deer.

Delaney Cardinal, the boy’s mother, tells rdnewsNOW she received a call from the mom of one of her son Hunter’s friends, describing a violent incident, and adding that an ambulance and police were on the way one night this past weekend.

Red Deer RCMP confirms a 9-1-1 call came in just before 3 a.m. on Sept. 19. The alleged attack is said to have happened in the area of Larsen Crescent and Lancaster Drive.

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“What happened was they had snuck out while I wasn’t home, and were being stupid teenagers. I get this call, and I was told Hunter was beaten with a baseball bat. I was freaking out,” says Cardinal. “He went in the ambulance and when I went to meet them at the hospital, my kid was almost unrecognizable. He was covered in blood, his shoes were taken, and he’s deeply concussed. He wasn’t even quite sure what had happened.”

Cardinal posted emotional words on social media shortly after the incident, telling rdnewsNOW it was screen-captured, then shared quickly and widely, particularly on Snapchat.

Hunter, a 13-year-old from Red Deer, was allegedly beaten the morning of Sept. 19 in southeast Red Deer. Police are looking for camera footage in hopes of identifying suspects or a suspect vehicle. (Supplied)

With more details coming to light since, she wants people to know vigilantism could lead to targeting the wrong people, which isn’t what she wants.

RCMP say they’ve spoken to several witnesses and people who came to the scene in the aftermath.

“This attack wasn’t unprovoked, and we don’t believe it was racially motivated,” says Cardinal. Mounties say that events unfolded prior to the alleged attack, and that the attack was not random. They say there is no ongoing danger to the public.

“However, I don’t care what happened, even if Hunter or one of the other boys threw a rock at a window. At the end of the day, you don’t do that to a kid. You call the police or find another way. He was apparently balled up on the ground unconscious and they weren’t stopping.”

RCMP can’t tell rdnewsNOW the exact weapons involved because accounts vary, but the boys claimed the attacker(s) also had tasers, according to Cardinal.

Cardinal shares too that teenagers have added her on Facebook offering to help track down the alleged assailants. RCMP say pictures of supposed suspect vehicles and/or suspect persons posted on social media have been determined to be false.

“People want to help and that’s really great, but I want them to know there is no positive identification yet. We can’t have anyone targeting the wrong people,” Cardinal reiterates.

“But there were two young guys, I’m told, who were having a backyard fire nearby and intervened in the attack. My son might’ve been killed if they hadn’t stepped in. Whoever they are, thank you.”

RCMP say the suspect vehicle has been described as a pick-up truck, though various colours were given by witnesses, ranging from black to red to blue, and there’s no known make or model.

RCMP note this is why camera footage is key; they are looking for footage from 2-4 a.m. on Sept. 19 in the area of Larsen Crescent and Lancaster Drive. Anyone with information is asked to call 403-343-5575, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).