$160K donated to beating victim

CHICAGO — Nearly $160,000 has been donated to the family of a mentally disabled teenager who was shown bound and tortured in a Facebook Live video last week.

Other people across the country have sent gifts and cards to a post office box set up by the victim’s sister in Cary, according to the family’s attorney.

“It has been heartwarming for the family to remember, at least, there’s some niceness out there,” said Neal Strom. “Because what’s happened is overthe-top insane.”

Four people can be seen on the video cutting the 18-year-old man’s scalp with a knife, punching and kicking him and laughing as they repeatedly forced his head into a toilet while yelling obscenities about Donald Trump and “white people.” Hate crimes charges have been filed against all four.

As of Tuesday morning, about 5,000 people donated more than $157,000 to a Go Fund Me campaign. The goal had been $10,000.

People from all 50 states have donated on the site, which was established last week by Reddit user Razor Sheldon. A company representative said Go Fund Me will make sure the funds reach the 18-year-old’s family.

Several groups have reached out to the victim since news of the incident broke last Wednesday, including a group of police officers from Buffalo, N.Y., Strom said.

People have offered to send gifts, T-shirts and free resources “for his emotional well-being,” the attorney said.

Strom said he is working with the family to manage the proceeds from the Go Fund Me campaign, and is meeting with mental health experts to properly handle any posttraumatic stress.

Charged were Jordan Hill, 18, of Carpentersville; Tesfaye Cooper, 18, of Chicago; and sisters Brittany Covington, 18, and Tanishia Covington, 24, who lived in an apartment in the 3300 block of West Lexington Street where the assault allegedly took place.

Police said all four have given statements admitting to their roles in the alleged attack.