Chicago police said Wednesday that they're investigating a video circulating on social media that shows several people beating a man at a residence.
Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said at a news conference that four suspects, two males and two females, are in custody. Formal charges have not been filed.
The victim, who has “mental health challenges,” is recovering, Johnson said.
He also called the video “sickening,” and Police Cmdr. Kevin Duffin said the suspects made “stupid decisions.”
While police officials did not confirm the races of the suspects or victim, video from Chicago media outlets appeared to show someone off-camera using profanities about “white people” and President-elect Donald Trump.
But police said it's too soon to determine whether the attack was racially motivated.
Investigators will “determine whether or not this is sincere or just stupid ranting and raving,” Duffin said when asked about the language used in the recording.
The video also shows bottles of alcohol in the room during the attack.
Officers were called to a residence on the city's West Side Tuesday evening where they found signs of a struggle and damaged property.
Police said that around the same time, officers on patrol encountered the victim on a nearby street.
Duffin said the victim knew one of the suspects.
Video of the alleged incident was initially posted on Facebook, but was later removed from the social media site.
A Facebook spokesman told The Associated Press the company removed the video because it does “not allow people to celebrate or glorify crimes on Facebook.”
