Video of Philadelphia Car Attack Viewed 2M Times

Shocking footage of an armed biker attacking a mom's car, smashing the rear window over the heads of her children in the back seat, has gone viral, as police launched a manhunt for the thug.

The incident was captured on camera by a tourist on the top deck of a sightseeing bus in Philadelphia, near City Hall at about 8:45 p.m. on Sunday evening. The 38-second clip shows how mom Nikki Bullock exited the car to remonstrate with the gun-brandishing attacker, who then headbutted her with his helmet and pushed her. She tried to fight back and managed to push him off his bike, before several other motorcyclists swooped to surround her as she backed up against the side of her car.

The road had been flooded with motorbikes and quad riders as part of a "street takeover," where bikers or car drivers gather en masse to block traffic and perform stunts. The dangerous trend has spread across the U.S., with Los Angeles seeing an uptick in deaths and violent crime associated with the practice.

Florida's Senator Jason Pizzo is campaigning to outlaw any participation in street takeovers, after a woman was decapitated when a dangerous car stunt went badly wrong, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott has also faced pressure to take action following violence amid street racing in Austin. Street takeovers can also involve pedestrians on foot, and stores have been stormed by groups of looters who clear their contents in the face of helpless staff and customers.

The footage of the Philadelphia attack at the weekend has been shared widely online and sparked revulsion at the violence against Bullock and her family.

Local news channel ABC6 was among those sharing the video, credited to George Coloney, who reportedly captured the scenes and uploaded them to Instagram. Online news outlet RawAlerts also shared the footage on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, where it had been viewed more than 2 million times by Tuesday morning.

The outlet shared a slowed-down clip too, which captured the moment the attacker briefly dropped a handgun he had been holding; he grabbed it and pointed it in Bullock's face as she walked towards him.

Undeterred, the mom continued to approach him to try to force him away from the car where her two-year-old son and five-year-old daughter were sitting. Her girlfriend was also in the car because the family had joined her on her shift delivering for Uber Eats, ABC6 reported.

In an interview with the TV channel, Bullock said the incident was sparked when the biker sideswiped her car. She said she was arguing with him and his friend, who was on another bike in front, through her window when she noticed the man was brandishing a gun and he "was trying to point it in the car."

The man's friend drove off, but the gunman didn't leave and got off his bike to climb on to the back of her car. "He jumped on the windshield. He already went through the windshield. [I thought] I might as well get out," she said.

In an interview with Fox News, she described the moment she realised he had aimed a gun at her head: "He pointed it at me. I couldn't hear anything he was saying; I was screaming at him."

The biker then physically attacked her by headbutting and pushing her, but she managed to push him back when he climbed on his bike, which caused him to lose his balance and fall. Other riders then surrounded her.

The incident eventually ended when she and her girlfriend grabbed their two children from the backseat and walked away from the scene, according to ABC6; they were forced to abandoned their smashed-out car. Bullock is grateful her children were not hurt by the glass collapsing close to their heads. "They are ok. Not a single scratch," she said. "I have a guardian angel. Thank God."

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said he was horrified by the "completely outrageous" footage. "Whoever that person is, if that person is caught and I get the chance to charge that person, we will be going very vigorously after that person for that conduct," he added.

Philadelphia Police Department issued screengrabs from the video on X as they launched a manhunt for the attacker, who is wanted on suspicion of "aggravated assault and vandalism."

Close-ups showed how he wore a distinctive helmet and T-shirt and had tattoos, which may help identify him.

Some internet users claimed the man has subsequently been identified following tip-offs from the public, but that wasn't confirmed by officials.

Newsweek reached out to the Philadelphia Police Department by email on Tuesday, seeking further information and comment.