Video of the attack, which occurred at White Plains High School, began spreading on social media, prompting White Plains Public Schools to take action. None of the students have been publicly identified as all five involved are minors. However, White Plains Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca told WNBC that the incident was disturbing.

“Your stomach churns, your fists clench,” he told the local news station regarding his reaction to seeing the video. “You’re immediately feeling sad and at the same time angry. You understand that these are children in the video but you also recognize how this is a dangerous situation.”

He also said that he believed the attackers knew the victim and planned out the confrontation beforehand. However, the extent of this planning is not currently known.

“[It] seems to be a coordinated situation,” Dr. Ricca continued. “[It] seems like the kids knew what was going on and what they were doing. [It] certainly doesn’t make it okay.”

Three students are currently suspended from school as they face further disciplinary action. One of these students is the one who originally filmed and posted the video online, although it is not known whether they were actually involved in the attack.

“We need to reinforce to folks who are holding the camera that’s that not OK,” he explained. “When you’re in a situation you see something that’s dangerous, potentially dangerous is occurring. Filming it is not the first thing you should be doing. The first thing you should be doing is getting help.”

Newsweek has been unable to obtain an original copy of the video. However, a play-by-play of its footage was posted by the Hudson Valley Post. In the article, the victim is seen kneeling on the floor with one of his attackers standing over him. The attacker then slaps and punches the victim multiple times, both while kneeling until he falls over. The attacker then proceeds to kick the victim. Despite this, the student reportedly was not seriously injured in the beating.

In a letter to the school district, White Plains High School principal Emerly Martinez condemned the attack, saying that the students involved in planning and disseminating the footage will face severe consequences.

“​​This week we, as a school community, all experienced the negative results of poor decision making. We know that anytime there is a negative occurrence in our school community, we all seek to make certain that such an event is not repeated,” she wrote. “As a reminder, any student who is involved in any physical altercation, or who is caught recording or disseminating a video of an altercation, will be subject to severe disciplinary consequences.”

The White Plains Police Department is also investigating the attack, according to a statement by Commissioner David Chong given to Newsweek.

“White Plains Police are aware of the incident and are working closely with White Plains School officials on the investigation,” said Chong, “this investigation involves juvenile underage students so no further comment can be made.”

Update 2/21/2022 at 11:14 a.m. EST: This story has been updated with a statement from the White Plains Police Department.