VIOLENT 'KNOCKOUT' GAME IS FREAKING OUT NEW YORKERS

VIOLENT 'KNOCKOUT' GAME IS FREAKING OUT NEW YORKERS

A new form of thrill-seeking with a nasty, nihilist twist is putting folks at risk of being randomly assaulted by roaming teenagers who aim to take someone out in a single blow. The "knockout game" is what they're calling it, reports CBS, and victims have even included the elderly.

A 78-year-old woman in Brooklyn is the latest to be "knocked out," according to the NYPD. Fortunately her injuries weren't serious enough to warrant a visit to the hospital. But a man in New Jersey wasn't so lucky: 46-year-old Ralph Santiago of Hoboken was killed after being slammed into an iron fence by three teens, who have since been arrested.

In Pittsburgh, a teacher was attacked. And in London, the "knockout" victim was another teen.

Particularly bizarre for crime watchers is the fact that theft appears to play no part in the criminal acts.

"She had her purse, she had bags from department stores, [and] there was not even an attempt to take anything from her," said the daughter of the woman in Brooklyn. "It was just a wanton act to hurt another human being."