FREDERICK, Md. — The assault at the Great Frederick Fair Friday that took the life of a 59-year-old man started when two teen aged brothers asked him for a dollar, according to prosecutors.
The boys attacked the man after words were exchanged and the victim walked away, the prosecutors said in Frederick County juvenile court Monday.
The brothers are aged 15 and 16 and were described as high school students and athletes. The victim was John Marvin Weed of Mt. Airy, Maryland.
It is likely first-degree assault charges against the younger boy will be elevated to manslaughter, according to Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith.
Prosecutors called the incident a completely random act of violence between total strangers.
Smith said there is no evidence currently to support widespread social media speculation that the incident was part of a "knock-out game" or was a racially-motivated hate crime.
Smith said if evidence comes to light, charges could be modified.
Juvenile court judge Julie Solt ordered both boys to be held in juvenile detention for at least 30 more days for the investigation to continue.
The boy's tearful father begged Solt to release the teens while promising that he and their mother would supervise them as the case moves forward.
The father called the brothers good boys who "made a terrible mistake."
Videos of the attack have been been widely posted on sites like LiveLeak.com.