DailyKenn.com | KennGividen.com
BOSTON — A 35-year-old Harvard researcher from Brazil, Thiago Rentz, was allegedly assaulted by five teenagers at the AMC Boston Common 19 theater early Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, after asking them to be quiet during a screening of the horror film “Weapons.”
Rentz, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology, said the group was disrupting the audience by clapping and screaming throughout the movie.
Rentz reportedly asked the teens multiple times to show respect or leave the theater. When his requests were ignored, he sought a manager, but theater staff did not intervene. After the film ended, as most patrons left the second-floor theater, Rentz said the teens formed a “wall,” blocking his exit. “It was one, me against five,” Rentz said. He described being punched repeatedly, primarily in the head and face, while his friend screamed for help. Rentz did not fight back, instead shielding his face.
The assault occurred around 12:15 a.m., leaving Rentz with a black eye, a minor nose injury, and cuts on his hand. His friend found a cleaning lady who led them to security, and emergency responders arrived. Boston police took Rentz’s statement around 12:45 a.m., after the theater had closed, noting the suspects had fled. Rentz described the attackers as five juvenile males dressed in black hoodies, with their faces uncovered.
Rentz expressed frustration with AMC’s lack of response and called for increased security measures. “Harassment is not good in a public space. This is absurd, so I think they need to hire more people to work as security,” he said. He plans to follow up to ensure security footage is reviewed to identify the attackers, emphasizing that they “need to be punished.” Boston police are investigating the incident.
Find archived black-on-white homicide news reports here ►
200 latest news reports from 100 top conservative websites