Video showing a group of females who assaulted a 21-year-old woman drew an explosive response on social media this week.

It resulted in a flood of outraged comments, a group of would-be vigilantes livestreaming their search for the perpetrators and, ultimately, the arrest of an 18-year-old woman and three juveniles involved in the attack.

The video initially shows two of the female suspects, one in a long-sleeve shirt and jeans and the other in a white hoodie and shorts, confronting the victim. The suspect in the long-sleeve shirt throws the victim’s backpack aside and slaps her, knocking off her glasses.

Two other females are off-camera but can be heard taunting the woman. When the victim sinks to the pavement and covers her face, the same suspect repeatedly punches her in the head. As the confrontation moves across the street, the suspect in the hoodie punches the victim in the face, drawing loud laughter from the others.

The video picks up with the victim sitting on the grass as the suspect in the hoodie yanks her by the hair while punching and kicking her in the head. The victim eventually slumps backward, lying motionless until the video ends.

The incident occurred a month ago, but the video is believed to have surfaced online only this week. The flashpoint occurred when the video made it to the popular Instagram account HHHNewz on Wednesday. Less than two hours after it was first posted, the video had generated thousands of views and hundreds of angry comments.

Comments on the post spanned the usual mix of sympathy for the victim, anger at the perpetrators, laments over changing times and pledges of local-style retribution. The video identified the suspects as students from Leilehua High School and viewers familiar with them posted their names in the comments.

It didn’t stop there. Within hours of the post, a group of Wahiawa-area residents, including some Leilehua students, formed a loose-knit posse and descended on the apartment building where two of the suspects, sisters, are believed to live. A livestream of the scene, which captured individuals climbing up the side of the building and knocking on doors in search of the suspects, garnered some 11,000 viewers.

Meanwhile, alerted by the social media activity, Honolulu Police Department officers conducted an initial investigation of the incident, then identified and arrested the four suspects. 

The three juvenile suspects were described as a 13-year-old boy and two girls, ages 14 and 16.

The 18-year-old woman was initially charged with third-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal property damage, but prosecutors later dropped the charges, with prejudice, to allow police more time to investigate. Charges may be refiled later.

Both the suspect and her mother have since issued separate apologies on social media, explaining that the conflict started on the bus and “went too far.” The mother said she fears for her family’s safety.

The victim’s family also went public to thank the community for its support and to ask people not to retaliate physically against the suspects.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.