Over $120,000 raised by crowdfunder for Chicago torture victim

A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $120,000 (£976,000) for the survivor of a brutal attack in Chicago, which was filmed and broadcast live on Facebook. The 18-year-old, who was held against his will and set upon by four people, had mental health problems, the Chicago police said.

The campaign, which was launched by on Thursday (5 January), was aimed at "showing some love" to the attack's survivor, said its creator, a man calling himself 'Razor' Sheldon.

In a post on the crowdfunding website, Sheldon wrote: "For those of you that have seen the horrific torture and trauma recently inflicted on a young man in Chicago, it is not something you will soon forget."

In the post, he encouraged the public to "prove to him that there is far more good in this world than the evil he experienced."

The campaign, which the Huffington Post said had been authenticated by a GoFundMe representative, had raised almost $120,000 as of Sunday afternoon. In an update posted on Saturday, Sheldon said he'd hoped to raise $5,000 for the young victim.

In the video of the attack, which was broadcast live on Facebook, the young man was shown being beating by his assailants, while he was bound and gagged. The attackers also threatened him with a knife, and made him drink from a toilet bowl. The video lasted 30 minutes. However, the ordeal is thought to have taken place over two days.

During the video, the perpetrators could be heard shouting "F**k Trump" and "F**k white people".

Outgoing US President Barack Obama called the attack "despicable" but also said he felt race relations in the country were generally positive.

He told CBS: "I think the overall trajectory of race relations in this country is actually very positive. It doesn't mean that all racial problems have gone away. It means that we have the capacity to get better."

Four suspects, Jordan Hill, Tesfaye Cooper, Brittany Covington, all 18, and Tanisha Covington, 24, were all denied bail after appearing in court on Friday. Presiding over the case, Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesell asked the group: "Where was your sense of decency?"

The four have been charged on several counts including for hate crimes, felony, aggravated kidnapping and battery, and unlawful restraint.

The fundraising campaign is currently still running.