Group beats basketball player with a pipe during high school game, Minnesota cops say

A group of people entered a high school gym and attacked a student-athlete during a basketball game, beating him with a pipe, then leading cops on a chase, Minnesota police and news outlets report.

The assault happened at around 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Cooper High School, the New Hope Police Department said in a news release. Cooper was playing neighboring Fridley High School.

Officials with Robbinsdale Area Schools, of which Cooper is a part, sent a letter to parents saying six people attacked a Fridley player while he was benched, Bringmethenews.com reported. The attackers were seen hitting the student with a pipe.

The group left the scene in a vehicle, but school resource officers provided a description of the suspects, as well as a vehicle and “potential weapons,” according to police.

A New Hope PD officer spotted the vehicle and the driver tried to flee, “a short pursuit ensued, resulting in the suspect vehicle leaving the roadway,” the department said.

Three adults and two juveniles were arrested, police said, adding that evidence was also recovered.

Police said the attack “was not random,” but didn’t explain why the student was targeted.

“We know why it happened,” Police Chief Tim Hoyt told The Minnesota Star Tribune, though he declined to comment further.

It’s also unclear what condition the student is in, though police said paramedics went to the gym and rendered aid immediately following the attack.

An investigation is underway and anyone with information is asked to contact New Hope police at 763-531-5170.

New Hope is a suburb of Minneapolis and is a roughly 10-mile drive northwest from the city’s downtown.

This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 1:38 PM with the headline "Group beats basketball player with a pipe during high school game, Minnesota cops say."