Several students have been charged in a hate crime investigation after a male victim was assaulted last month.

On Thursday, November 7, the Salisbury Police Department in Maryland confirmed in a release that 12 suspects, determined to be members or associates of a fraternity at Salisbury University, faced multiple charges, including assault, reckless endangerment and false imprisonment, following the Oct. 15 attack.

The assault occurred at an off-campus apartment complex for college-age students, the statement said, adding that detectives had viewed footage on a cellphone.

Police confirmed that the victim, who has not been identified, was “targeted due to his sexual preferences,” according to the statement.

“A group of men used a social media account and invited the victim to a residence within the 1400 block of University Terrace under false pretenses,” the post said.

7News, WJZ News and WBOC claimed that the victim had been lured to the scene after one of the suspects allegedly created an account on the dating app Grindr, posing as a 16-year-old.

“When the victim responded and entered the residence, numerous college-aged men surrounded the victim and forced her to sit in an isolated chair in the middle of the living room,” police added of the assault in the news release.

The statement continues: “After being forcibly seated, the victim was kicked, punched and spat on while the men called her derogatory names. The victim told detectives that he attempted to leave the apartment several times; however, he was thrown into the apartment. the ground during each initial attempt to flee. The assault lasted several minutes until he was finally allowed to leave.

The victim, who reported the crime on October 31, suffered bruising all over her body and suffered a broken rib in the attack, police confirmed.

Police initially identified Ryder Baker, 20; Bennan Aird, 18; Riley Brister, 20; Cruz Céspedes, 19; Dylan Earp, 20; Elijah Johnson, 19; and Zachary Leinemann, 18, as involved in the assault.

On Thursday, November 7, after further investigation, police identified the following as allegedly part of the attack; Cameron Guy, 18; Jacob Howard, 19 years old; Eric Sinclair, 21 years old; Patricio Gutiérrez, 19; and Dylan Pietuszka, 20.

All people have been charged with first-degree assault, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment and associated hate crime charges, police confirmed in the statement.

The investigation is ongoing.

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A university spokesperson told PEOPLE: “All 12 accused students have been suspended, which is the most severe penalty the University can impose at this stage of the process under our Code of Community Standards.”

“Salisbury University condemns all acts of violence. We are committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, both on and off campus,” they added in the statement.

“Any student who commits an act of violence can expect to face criminal charges as well as disciplinary action under the SU Student Community Standards Code. The crimes described are in direct conflict with the values ​​of Salisbury University and what we stand for. The Hate has no place at SU,” the statement continued.

The university spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE that the victim was not a student at the school.

The Salisbury Police Department did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.