Red Deerians rally around injured teen after assault<\/p>\n
Published 4:27 pm Friday, May 15, 2026<\/p>\n
A couple hundred Red Deerians gathered to show support for a teen girl after a video of her being attacked went viral on social media.<\/p>\n
The video shows one girl repeatedly punching, kicking and elbowing 14-year-old Rylin Brinston in the field near Hunting Hills High School and the Collicutt Centre. The suspect also slams the back of Brinston\u2019s head into the ground multiple times. A second girl is shown hitting Brinston in the video as well.<\/p>\n
The two suspects, both 14-year-old residents of Red Deer, have since been charged, according to Red Deer RCMP. One was charged with assault causing bodily harm and assault by choking, while the other was charged with just assault causing bodily harm. Both will appear in the Alberta Court of Justice on June 25.<\/p>\n
A rally was held outside the old courthouse in downtown Red Deer on the afternoon of Friday, May 15, with many holding signs with messages of support and wearing blue, which is Brinston\u2019s favourite colour.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels nice. It\u2019s like I\u2019m not by myself,\u201d Brinston said at the rally.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really stressful (since the incident on May 11) and like everything is not right anymore. But we\u2019re managing.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a result of the attack, Brinston sustained a concussion and has some internal eye bleeding. She could potentially be faced with permanent eye damage.<\/p>\n
Stephanie Rempel, Brinston\u2019s mother, said seeing her daughter getting injured like this has been a traumatic experience. But knowing \u201chow many people in this community care\u201d has been helpful, she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really nice to see because a few days ago, she thought she had nobody in the world. For everyone to come together, the messages and the gifts \u2014 we\u2019re very grateful,\u201d said Rempel.<\/p>\n
Rempel said she hopes parents will speak to their children about bullying and teach them how to regulate their emotions \u201cso things like this don\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is unacceptable,\u201d said Rempel.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was a kid, this never happened. We had fights, but the severity of this is new to me. I\u2019ve never seen anything like this before. \u2026 It was pretty upsetting, with the 40-some kids who were there, that no one said anything. I feel like if even a couple people stepped up (the attackers) would have stopped.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brinston will finish the school year at home through online learning. Rempel expects her daughter will continue online learning next year as well.<\/p>\n