RICHMOND -
Could a group of young men who claim to be angry at teenage drug and alcohol abuse be responsible for at least two gang beatings in Richmond this month?
Richmond investigators are trying to determine if the "straightedge" World War Crew has resurfaced in the Richmond area.
The first attack occurred early in the morning on Nov. 1 late Halloween night outside a home in the 100 block of W. Leigh Street, where a large party was held. Richmond police say Andrew F. Massengill, 19, of the 100 block of West Jackson Street, and Sawyer P. Bell, 26, last known address in the 1300 block of Camrose Road, are suspects in that aggravated assault.
Massingill was also allegedly part of another gang attack at a party in the 2200 block of W. Grace Street a week later, early Sunday morning. The victim in that attack lost some of his front teeth, one witness said.
Bell was apprehended in Utah Tuesday. Massengill was still at large, as of late Tuesday night.
CBS 6 talked to people at both parties, some of whom were afraid of retribution from the World War Crew. Those witnesses said the fighting was intense and didn't make much sense.
Jarrette Goodman said the fights on W. Grace Street were confusing. It wasn't clear who was fighting whom, and why. "You didn't know who to hit," said Goodman, who said he was punched randomly when he walked outside the party to see what was going on. "They all were dressed the same you'd think they were regular dudes. I wish they were wearing colors."
Gene Lepley, spokesman for the Richmond Police Department, said "We know more than Bell and Massengill were involved in each assault," which he characterized as "a gang attack on partygoers at these two locations."
Lepley said investigators have linked Massengill to the World War Crew, and they're trying to determine if others involved in the beatings also have ties.
The World War Crew, which is thought to have been born out of a West End church's youth group, surfaced three years ago, when they were blamed for random assaults, graffiti and other vandalism in the Fan and Carytown districts. Some arrests were made then.
But in the past year, the Crew has resurfaced in news stories about youth gangs and on the internet.
The World War Crew Richmond has a Facebook page. "World War Crew is Richmond's Realest. No Doubt," the site proclaims. The site has dozens of friends and describes the crew as "pranking, having fun (usually at other people's expense) straightedge and hardcore."
Straightedge is a subset of the punk and hardcore musical movements. Proponents don't use drugs and alcohol because they make users weak, unable to meet their full potential. Hardcore is a heavy type of rock and roll that often features simple but heavy breakdown riffs, punctuated by chants, that get fans slam dancing, occcasionally to the point of drawing blood. For example, one of the premier hardcore bands in the world Hatebreed is playing at The National in Richmond Thursday afternoon. One of their songs, "Destroy Everything" is about destroying those things inside each individual that makes them weak.
Several threads about World War Crew can be found on the Craigslist "missed connections" subsite. A self-described member of the WWC offered a profanity laced mission statement that ends with the words "Jesus Christ" and warns: "If we C U drinkin, smoking, composing drugs or anything of that sort; nature we will beat your freakin asses." The posting also warns drinkers and drug users that their bodies are not theirs to abuse.
Because of the serious nature of the attacks - aggravated assaults and the possibility that they may be part of organized gang behavior, the WWC has gotten the attention of state gang reduction groups. Anyone charged under anti-gang statutes could face serious time.
Richmond investigators are trying to determine if the "straightedge" World War Crew has resurfaced in the Richmond area.
The first attack occurred early in the morning on Nov. 1 late Halloween night outside a home in the 100 block of W. Leigh Street, where a large party was held. Richmond police say Andrew F. Massengill, 19, of the 100 block of West Jackson Street, and Sawyer P. Bell, 26, last known address in the 1300 block of Camrose Road, are suspects in that aggravated assault.
Massingill was also allegedly part of another gang attack at a party in the 2200 block of W. Grace Street a week later, early Sunday morning. The victim in that attack lost some of his front teeth, one witness said.
Bell was apprehended in Utah Tuesday. Massengill was still at large, as of late Tuesday night.
CBS 6 talked to people at both parties, some of whom were afraid of retribution from the World War Crew. Those witnesses said the fighting was intense and didn't make much sense.
Jarrette Goodman said the fights on W. Grace Street were confusing. It wasn't clear who was fighting whom, and why. "You didn't know who to hit," said Goodman, who said he was punched randomly when he walked outside the party to see what was going on. "They all were dressed the same you'd think they were regular dudes. I wish they were wearing colors."
Gene Lepley, spokesman for the Richmond Police Department, said "We know more than Bell and Massengill were involved in each assault," which he characterized as "a gang attack on partygoers at these two locations."
Lepley said investigators have linked Massengill to the World War Crew, and they're trying to determine if others involved in the beatings also have ties.
The World War Crew, which is thought to have been born out of a West End church's youth group, surfaced three years ago, when they were blamed for random assaults, graffiti and other vandalism in the Fan and Carytown districts. Some arrests were made then.
But in the past year, the Crew has resurfaced in news stories about youth gangs and on the internet.
The World War Crew Richmond has a Facebook page. "World War Crew is Richmond's Realest. No Doubt," the site proclaims. The site has dozens of friends and describes the crew as "pranking, having fun (usually at other people's expense) straightedge and hardcore."
Straightedge is a subset of the punk and hardcore musical movements. Proponents don't use drugs and alcohol because they make users weak, unable to meet their full potential. Hardcore is a heavy type of rock and roll that often features simple but heavy breakdown riffs, punctuated by chants, that get fans slam dancing, occcasionally to the point of drawing blood. For example, one of the premier hardcore bands in the world Hatebreed is playing at The National in Richmond Thursday afternoon. One of their songs, "Destroy Everything" is about destroying those things inside each individual that makes them weak.
Several threads about World War Crew can be found on the Craigslist "missed connections" subsite. A self-described member of the WWC offered a profanity laced mission statement that ends with the words "Jesus Christ" and warns: "If we C U drinkin, smoking, composing drugs or anything of that sort; nature we will beat your freakin asses." The posting also warns drinkers and drug users that their bodies are not theirs to abuse.
Because of the serious nature of the attacks - aggravated assaults and the possibility that they may be part of organized gang behavior, the WWC has gotten the attention of state gang reduction groups. Anyone charged under anti-gang statutes could face serious time.
