‘I will mess you up’: Teens say Hamilton man assaulted them with bat after school

She is a spiritual person, often wearing crystal bracelets to draw energy from the carnelian (courage), amethyst (purity) and obsidian (prophecy) gemstones against her skin.

On the day it happened, the 17-year old wore rose quartz.

The symbol of unconditional love," she said.

Two muscle cars sped past the teenager, and her four friends, as they walked home from Sir Allan MacNab high school along a residential street on the west Mountain.

One car stopped. The second pulled up parallel next to it.

Both cars reversed quickly in tandem, stopping in front of the group.

The teens say a man got out of one car and pulled an aluminum baseball bat from the trunk.

This was on Nov. 18, just before 2:30 p.m.

What happened next to the students on Appleford Road was frightening, confusing, and put one of them in hospital.

(The Spectator interviewed four of the students, and the mother of one of them. The parent asked that the teenagers' names not be published, out of concern for their safety.)

The teens say that two girls, who they recognized from school, also got out of one of the cars. They say one of these girls accused someone in their group of pulling a knife" on her sister.

I told them I didn't know what they were talking about, that I didn't do that, and my friends don't do things like that either," said the 17-year old girl who wore the bracelet.

The students say at that point, the two girls attacked, punching and kicking the 17-year-old girl.

One of the boys in the group of friends, who is 16, tried to intervene to stop it.

The teens say that's when the man with the bat swung and hit the 16-year-old boy, on the top right portion of his head, just above the temple. He dropped to the ground.

Another of the friends, a 17-year-old boy, said he confronted the man to prevent a second blow.

It was really hard to watch, for the longest time all I could think about was the sound (of the bat striking)," he said. I tried to stop him the first time, I'm glad I did the second time. I just wish I was able to do more."

The man then allegedly told the group the hit was a warning," and took several swings at the 17-year-old, but didn't hit him.

He put the bat above his head and said, I don't care who you are, or how old you are, or if you are bitches or dudes, I will mess you up,' " said the 17-year-old. He told me, I don't have a problem with you, bro, you can leave.' I said I wasn't leaving my friends."

The teens described the man as having close-cropped hair, a couple of missing teeth, and a prominent gold chain.

The man and girls got back in the car. The teens said a woman drove the other car.

The 17-year old boy called 911 on his cell, whispering into it, hoping the man wouldn't notice and return.

Paramedics treated the 16-year old and took him to hospital, where he stayed overnight.

Police arrived later, and interviewed the teens.

The 16-year old boy told the Spectator he was diagnosed with bleeding on the brain from the bat attack.

The girl with the bracelet says she was diagnosed the next day with a concussion, from blows she said she suffered from the girls.

The alleged attack came about two weeks after she said she had been the victim of anti-gay slurs at school, outside during the lunch hour. That day, she wore a rainbow coloured bucket hat, and a boy called her queer," among other anti-gay expletives, including the F-word," she said.

She has heard slurs like that before, in the years since around Grade 8 when classmates became aware of her orientation. But at MacNab high school, she said, it is unusual to hear anything like that.

One of the other teens, who is also gay, said MacNab offers an inclusive and welcoming" atmosphere.

The mother of one of the teens said the two girls who allegedly took part in the attack have been expelled from school.

Shawn McKillop, Hamilton public school board manager of communications, would not comment on the incident, citing privacy concerns.

Laura Romano, superintendent of student achievement, said school officials have been actively involved in supporting the victim's family with various safety and wellness supports."

On Nov. 20, Hamilton police charged 42-year old David Gary Tucker with two counts of assault with a weapon. His next court date is Dec. 16.

The parent said an LGBTQIA+ liaison officer with police met with her, and explained that police would not be investigating the attack as a hate crime, because there was no evidence suggesting a link between the anti-gay incident at school, and the alleged assault.

As for the group of friends, they have not walked home from school together since the incident.

They say the school has been paying for taxis to drive them each day.

They remain frightened, said one of the girls.

But with how bad it was, it has brought us closer together. We look out for one another."

Jon Wells is a feature writer for The Spectator. jwells@thespec.com