Boston

‘Absolute Miracle': Victim Survives Near-Fatal Assault in South End, Search for Assailants Continues

"I hit my head off this pavement and I woke up in the ICU the next day," Chris Smith, 22, said

What to Know

  • A 22-year-old man was assaulted on Saturday in Boston's South End neighborhood.
  • Three witnesses told Boston police they saw three men punching and slamming the victim to the ground.
  • The victim underwent emergency brain surgery at Tufts Medical Center as a result of the attack.

The search for four people connected to the near-fatal beating of a man in Boston’s South End neighborhood continues as the victim recovers from his injuries.

"I'm incredibly grateful to be alive. It is an absolute miracle," 22-year-old Chris Smith told NBC10 Boston.

Smith underwent emergency brain surgery after he was assaulted on Saturday following a night out. He said he and a friend were at J.J. Foley’s Cafe when they decided to go to a restaurant next door after.

The victim said a group followed them, with one of the men claiming Smith insulted his girlfriend. Smith then requested an Uber to leave the area when he was attacked at about 2:45 a.m.

"They came up behind me and hit me in the back of the head," he said. "I hit my head off this pavement and I woke up in the ICU the next day."

The 22-year-old said he does not remember the attack but recalls waking up at Tufts Medical Center. Boston police said three witnesses at the scene told investigators they saw three men punching and slamming Smith to the ground.

"They left him for dead," Smith’s mother, Debbie, said. "They didn’t even look behind them."

Officers said the victim was semi-conscious when they found him. Authorities searched the scene but were unable to find the suspects.

"Driving there was hell because we didn’t know what we were going to face," Debbie Smith said. "We knew it was a head injury."

Boston police released surveillance images of the four suspects believed to be connected to the assault.

Anyone who recognizes the suspects or who has information on the assault is asked to contact officials at 617-343-9529. Anonymous tips can be submitted at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463).

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