A disturbing incident unfolded Tuesday at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside when a group of adults forced their way onto campus and attacked a student, according to the Riverside Unified School District and local law enforcement.
The violence stemmed from an earlier altercation between two male students. After the initial fight, one of the students called family members to the campus to help retaliate, Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback told The Press-Enterprise.
Several adults then arrived at the school and bypassed security, entering through the front office without checking in, according to a letter sent to families by the school’s administration. A campus supervisor followed the group and alerted officials, who contacted police.
Students told FOX 11 that as many as 20 people poured onto campus. “He brought in like his mom and everything else, and I was like, ‘Whoa,’” one student said. Another student described the group “punching the guy like crazy” and said a school administrator who tried to intervene was thrown to the ground and put in a chokehold.
The assailants fled before officers arrived, iHeartRadio reported. The targeted student was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and two campus supervisors were also assaulted, according to the Riverside Unified School District.
Parents and students have since voiced frustration, questioning why the school wasn’t locked down or why no alerts were issued. “Our students and staff were not notified that this was happening on the campus,” parent Vanessa Brogdon told FOX 11.
In response, the school acknowledged that existing safety protocols failed and promised to implement changes. “We are working closely with district leadership to review and strengthen our safety procedures,” the school stated in its letter to families.
The Riverside Police Department is actively investigating the incident and has vowed to hold those responsible accountable.
