A group of adults stormed a high school in Riverside this week and attacked a student to carry out revenge for a student relative who was involved in an earlier fight.
One student and two school staff members were attacked Tuesday at Martin Luther King High School, according to the Riverside Unified School District. The series of events unfolded when a fight broke out between two boys earlier in the day on the campus.
After that fight, one of the students contacted family members to help them attack the other student, Officer Ryan Railsback told the Press-Enterprise. Several adults arrived at the school and barged through a school office and circumvented campus security. A campus supervisor followed the group and alerted the school administration, who then contacted police, according to the school district.
In video footage shared on social media, several people can be seen involved in a brawl at the school. Railsback said school staff members tried to intervene but they were attacked by the adults and a student.
By the time police arrived on the campus, the adults and the student who had called his relatives had fled the campus. The student who was attacked was taken to the hospital but did not receive any major injuries, Railsback told the Press-Enterprise.
Riverside Unified School District spokesperson Liz Pinney-Muglia told The Times the adults stormed the school during a lunch break and the fight lasted for a few minutes.
“We are increasing security measures on campus for the remainder of the school year to support a safe and secure environment,” the district said in a statement. “Additional personnel will be present, and daily check-ins between school administration, School Resource Officers, and Riverside Police will help ensure continued coordination and vigilance. We remain fully committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students, staff, and families at Martin Luther King High School.”
In a message to the school community and parents, Principal Leann Iacuone said the school is cooperating with the police investigation and will review its policies for dealing with people who barge onto the campus without permission.
“The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority,” Iacuone said. “We are grateful to our team for their rapid response and to law enforcement for their support.”
Christopher Martinez, 17, told the Press-Enterprise he wasn’t too bothered by the episode.
“No one was really worried about it. People are talking about it, though,” Martinez said. “For the most part, me and my friends feel safe on campus. This is the first time anything like this has ever happened that I’m aware of, so I don’t really see it as a super big issue.”
Authorities offered no further information on the suspects involved in the fight. The Riverside Police Department did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday morning.
