Who is Caliber Visuals? Photographer, 22, robbed and brutally beaten in Seattle during holiday
Warning: Graphic description and video, may be disturbing to some readers
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON: A 22-year-old photographer is calling out for help after being brutally robbed and assaulted in Seattle on July 31. The freelance photographer, who goes by the name Caliber Visuals was in the city visiting a friend when he was beaten viciously by another man, who robbed Caliber of his iPhone and wallet. Suffering from a fractured eye socket and brain hemorrhaging, Caliber has been left with massive medical bills and is looking to raise $10,000.
The assault on the photographer is just one small sample of the skyrocketing crime wave all over the US. In early July, Rabbi Shlomo Noginski was stabbed in a suspected hate crime in Boston and thankfully survived the ordeal. Around the same time, NFL star Richard Sherman was arrested in Seattle, reportedly on a burglary domestic violence charge. Earlier in March, Washington DC was left shocked after Uber Eats driver Mohammed Anwar was brutally killed in a carjacking by two teen girls.
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There has also been a massive rise in hate crime, egged on by Donald Trump and other Republicans who continue to blame China for the Covid-19 pandemic. The attack on Caliber though appears to be a random mugging. The police are yet to make an arrest in the case, despite the entire incident being caught on a CCTV camera. Days later, he is still suffering from the after-effects of the mugging, with splitting headaches and spitting up blood.
Who is Caliber Visuals?
The 22-year-old's real name is not known. We could only find an Instagram and YouTube account using the same username, but no indication of his real name. He describes himself as a "freelance photographer in the music industry", but it is not clear where he lives. Judging from his Instagram profile, it is possibly California. A lot of his photos are geotagged to Los Angeles, Malibu, and Palm Springs.
On YouTube, he has a handful of music videos uploaded, the last one which was uploaded three months ago. We could not find a Facebook account or website related to Caliber. On his GoFundMe page, he says "I was rear-ended at a red light with by somebody on their phone going 45 and totaled my car," on July 8. The crash resulted in Caliber needing "physical therapy for weeks."
He says he was in Seattle visiting a friend for a "mental break" when the mugging occurred. Video footage shows Caliber near the parking lot by Cash America on Rainier Avenue when a man in an orange shirt approaches him. The suspect then says something to Caliber, before grabbing him by the neck and pulling him to the ground. He then kicks him in the head, before stomping on his nose. As Caliber lies unconscious, the suspect robbed him of his iPhone 12, at least $900 cash, a friend's car keys, and his wallet and cards. Footage of the incident was published by Jason Rantz, of KTTH Radio.
NEW: A 22-year-old freelance photographer visiting Seattle was brutally beaten unconscious & robbed in the Mount Baker neighborhood. Days later, he's still coughing up blood & incurring medical debt.
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) August 8, 2021
WARNING: the video is a tough watch. Read more below.https://t.co/l1SUtNzmgu pic.twitter.com/zgdkxeiFeH
"Four days later I'm trying to stay positive with the facts I'm still here and able to move forward in life but I still find myself spitting up blood and severe headaches," he wrote on his fundraising page. He added, "It's normally out of my character to even ask for help like this but with being out of work and watching medical bills pile up it has gotten overwhelming for me." He has set a target of $10,000, and at the time of reporting has managed to raise over $8,500.
Police are yet to catch the suspect but have released a description. They say he is "a Black male, 5’10”, 180 lbs., with a medium build." If anyone has any information about the suspect, they are encouraged to call SPD’s Robbery Unit at 206-684-5535. A local publication noted that the attack was not entirely unexpected. "Mount Baker is known to have a crime issue, but the city doesn’t have enough police to proactively walk, drive, or bike around neighborhoods as a deterrent," MyNorthWest reported.