A Minnesota man was left critically injured after what his family described as a brutal group attack at the State Fair turned a night out with friends into a nightmare.
Sammy Kimbrough, 45, suffered multiple fractures to his jaw and needed emergency reconstructive surgery after he was allegedly punched, knocked unconscious and kicked in the face at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul.
His fiancée, Heather Hoffman, said Kimbrough was attacked Saturday night by a group of young men in what she called a completely senseless act of violence.
“Anyone who knows Sammy knows that he is one of the most laid-back, kind-hearted, and non-confrontational men you could ever meet,” Hoffman wrote on Facebook. “This has been a lot to wrap our heads around.”
Kimbrough had gone to the fair with Hoffman and a group of friends during its closing weekend.
At one point, Kimbrough and two others broke away from the larger group to walk around the sprawling 322-acre fairgrounds.
Hoffman said Kimbrough accidentally bumped into someone who was with a group of roughly eight to 12 people.
What began as a minor encounter quickly escalated.
According to Hoffman, one man became aggressive during a verbal exchange. Kimbrough allegedly tried to calm the situation by saying “excuse me” and telling the person to back up.
Then he was punched.
Hoffman said another person knocked Kimbrough to the ground before members of the group began kicking him in the face while he was down.
Family friend Kira Roland said the attack left Kimbrough unconscious and bleeding from the mouth.
“What should have been an insignificant moment escalated into something unimaginable,” Roland wrote in a GoFundMe post.
Kimbrough suffered a major fracture on the right side of his jaw along with several smaller fractures on the left side.
He was rushed to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where doctors performed emergency surgery and inserted plates and screws to stabilize his jaw.
Kimbrough remained hospitalized for two days before being released Tuesday.
His injuries were so severe that doctors had to bandage his mouth shut and use bands to hold his jaw in place.
His fiancée said the recovery is far from over.
Once his jaw heals enough for him to open his mouth, Kimbrough is expected to undergo extensive dental work because several teeth were broken, knocked out or left loose during the assault.
Despite the severity of his injuries, Kimbrough appeared optimistic after surgery.
“It’ll be a long recovery!” he wrote on Facebook. “I’ll be back to normal in no time!”
Minnesota State Fair police confirmed that an assault happened Saturday night.
No arrests have been announced.
Hoffman said the family plans to pursue charges once the people responsible are identified.
“There is no excuse for this kind of violence,” she said. “Those responsible will be held accountable for what they have done.”
The Minnesota State Fair ran from Aug. 27 through Labor Day and stayed open until 11 p.m. each day.
What was supposed to be a fun night at one of the state’s biggest annual events instead ended with Kimbrough facing a long and painful recovery.
