A Missouri teen is fighting for her life while another teen faces charges after a brutal brawl that went viral.
The fight happened last Friday near Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis and video of the shocking fight quickly spread on social media. The video showed a brief confrontation between the two teens before the violent attack erupted.
The assailant tossed the victim to the ground, threw several punches, and repeatedly slammed her head into the concrete. The victim then appeared to suffer seizures from the trauma while sprawled out in the middle of the sidewalk. The video showed more chaos as other fights broke out around the victim’s convulsing body.
Police responded to an emergency call of a fight in progress and found the teen victim with a life-threatening head injury. She was transported to an area hospital where she remains in critical condition.
The day after the fight, a 15-year-old female was arrested and charged with assault, according to a police report.
Social media users pointed out the suspect is black and the victim is white, although in the other fights that broke out, most if not all involved appeared to be black. Police have not confirmed whether the attack on the white girl was racially motivated.
It was originally reported that the fight took place on campus. Further reports revealed the assault did not occur on school property, but at the intersection of Norgate and Claudine Drives near the high school.
“It is a tragedy anytime children are hurt. Bullying and fighting in the community is an issue for which we all need to take ownership and work towards a resolution for the sake of our children,” the Hazelwood School District said in a statement.
Authorities did not disclose the identities of the victim or suspect because they are minors.
The state’s attorney general is calling for the accused assailant to be tried as an adult.
“This evil and complete disregard for human life has no place in Missouri, or anywhere. I am praying for the victim. The criminal should be charged and tried as an adult. If the victim dies, that offense should rise to a homicide,” Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote in a post on X.
He further called for the reform of the state’s juvenile system and noted several minors were involved in the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory celebration last month.
Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe called the brutal attack “insanity” and said anyone involved in the fight should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
“This complete disregard for human life is unacceptable,” he wrote.
This incident is part of a disturbing trend among students, with 46 percent of schools in the United States witnessing a rise in violent episodes, according to data by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
The national debate over unruly students heated up following a concerning pandemic-era surge in school violence and overall student misbehavior.
The Hazelwood School District said its crisis management team is responding to those students who need support following the violent fight. The district pledged to partner with the community “for the sake of our children” in light of the violent assault.
The teen suspect is currently being held by St. Louis Family Court. A juvenile judge will decide if the accused assailant will be tried as an adult.
Police urge anyone with information about the assault to call 636-529-8210.
