Social media users have helped identify 10-12 suspects in a brutal attack of two gay men in Center City Philadelphia, according to police.

On the night of September 11, the 27 and 28- year-old gay men were assaulted by an intoxicated group of two men and six women in Rittenhouse Square. The group asked the men if they were a couple and began to beat them after they answered “yes”.

After a surveillance video of the assault was released to the public, social media users, particularly Twitter user known as fansince09, helped further the investigation. Police say the Twitter users shared the video and looked online for the identities of attackers.

Fansince09 stated that he searched on Facebook to find who had checked into the nearby restaurant and began to click links to match photos to the surveillance video. This resulted in the finding of a photo of a large group dining at a nearby Center City restaurant. Police say the photograph is included in their investigation.

Action News has reported that the attorneys for several members of a group caught on the surveillance video have contacted the police.