Maryland student recovering after attack that went viral, family says

By John Clarke

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Baltimore student who was brutally beaten and left unconscious in a pool of blood on the floor of a high school cafeteria was recovering, his family said on Friday, a day after prosecutors charged one of his football teammates in the attack.

Sean Johnson, 17, faces multiple charges, including first-degree and second-degree attempted murder and assault after he assaulted a fellow student during lunch in the Frederick Douglass High School cafeteria Wednesday, according to charging documents from the Baltimore state's attorney office.

Johnson was charged as an adult and held without bond Thursday.

The attack, over the assumed theft of a football helmet visor, was recorded and quickly went viral after being posted on social media.

The victim, who was not identified, was out of surgery and recovering in a local hospital, his family told WBAL, a local NBC affiliate.

The graphic, 30-second video shows Johnson holding the victim and repeatedly punching him in the face before stomping him once on his head. Johnson then lets go and leaves the victim in a pool of blood having a seizure.

In a letter sent to parents, school principal Kelvin Bridgers called the attack "deeply disturbing."

The victim suffered a concussion, facial injuries, and a broken nose, according to charging documents.

(Reporting by Frank McGurty; Editing by Eric Walsh)