A teenager had his jaw shattered by a group of young thugs, who jumped him on the streets of Hamilton this weekend.The 18-year-old said he was attacked on Washington Street along with a group of friends, shortly after he rehearsed for an anti-violence performance.The assault during the early hours of Saturday involved a group of girls as well as boys, estimated at around age 15.Speaking from his bed at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, the young man said it was a struggle to reconstruct the night’s events. “They say it happened on Washington Street. I remember parts, but I just can’t put it into order.”The two boys and two girls had finished a rehearsal for the ‘Evolution’ fashion show at City Hall.The injured man said he had been invited by a friend to take a lead role in an anti-violence segment of the show.As a symbolic message against Bermuda’s gang violence, a candlelit procession was to walk from the stage and down the fashion show walkway before blowing out their candles one by one.After attending rehearsals, he said, he and his friends had walked a short distance, when they were confronted suddenly by a larger group.Estimating the time of the attack as about 2.30am, he said: “We were heading back to my house from City Hall. There were five, six kids, they looked younger than us.“Basically they said they were going to rob us. So I told my friends to walk fast. I remember them going for my friend’s chain, and I told everybody to run.”A moment later, his jaw was broken.“The doctor says it couldn’t have been done by a fist. It was either a weapon, or I got stomped when I fell. It’s broken on the right side, and I got two fractures on the left side. It didn’t really hurt at the time I was just trying to figure out what was going on.“I remember regaining consciousness in front of City Hall. That’s where my family was.”The victim’s mother said she had been expecting her son to telephone at the end of the practice.“It’s not safe to be out walking at any hour of the night, which we all already know,” she said. “But we don’t think of stuff like this.”She said she believed one reason why her son was singled out was “because he tried to reason with them”.“This group came up to them, and one of the guys said ‘Yo, what you got for us?’.“My son’s friend was wearing a chain outside his shirt. They were trying to take what they could. One of the guys tried to run off with a girl’s bag.“My son was telling this guy, ‘You don’t need to do this’. I think that’s why he got hit so badly.”She was working when her son called to say, “Mom, I’ve been jumped.”The woman said: “I sent my brother to pick them up, and I told them to just get somewhere bright to head back towards City Hall, and get around people.”Later that day, her son underwent surgery to have his jaw repaired. Two metal plates were inserted, and his teeth wired together.She said: “The doctor said that on a scale of one to ten, this was a 12.”Released yesterday from hospital, he will spend the next six weeks on a semi-liquid diet until his bones heal.Described by his family as “in good spirits”, the victim said he was satisfied leaving the issue in the hands of police.“A lot of my friends are upset, but I don’t hold grudges,” he said.“I don’t hold onto anger. Letting go is just better. I’m not going to hold hate I pretty much just want to forget and let justice run its course.”For now, his summer travel plans are uncertain, and he is unsure when it will be safe to play basketball again. The next six weeks will be spent recuperating at home.The attack is under investigation by police, and witnesses or anyone with information is asked to call the Hamilton Criminal Investigation Unit at 295-0011.