Five high school students have been charged with felony battery after a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas was brutally attacked earlier this week.
Coral Springs Police said in a statement that all but one of the students is currently in custody, with their ages ranging from 15 to 17.
Chinua Leefatt, 15, Jordan Thompson, 16, Caleb Hensley, 17, and Sylvester Hicks Jr, 16, are all in custody, while Jahmeer Beautziel, 17, remains outstanding.
The five have all been charged with one count of felony battery, which police said reflects ‘the serious nature of their actions’.
In a statement, police said: ‘Our detectives have worked tirelessly around the clock, along with our law enforcement partners to include the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, to swiftly identify and apprehend the individuals involved.’
Coral Springs Police said in a statement that all but one of the students is currently in custody, with their ages ranging from 15 to 17
Video of the shocking fight shows a teen boy carrying the victim over his shoulder before he slams him on his head on the concrete, apparently rendering him unconscious.
A friend of the victim told local media earlier this week that 15 people had chased him before the attack.
At least two attackers are seen continuing to punch the victim after he was smashed into the ground.
Three other teen boys then approach the student and appear to try to help him but he remains unresponsive.
Witnesses told WSVN that one teen pulled a knife out during the altercation on Tuesday.
Patrick Fox, a friend of the victim, told the outlet: ‘I was there when they started chasing him, but when I left, he was just in an ambulance leaving, so I heard that he got he fractured his skull or something.’
The student who was attacked was hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries following the assault and is now reportedly recovering at home.
WSVN reported that detectives with Coral Springs made arrests overnight on Thursday, with all four being taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
Police have also added that their investigation remains active and additional arrests could happen.
The five have all been charged with one count of felony battery, which police said reflects ‘the serious nature of their actions’
The Parkland, Florida, school was the site of one of the nation’s worst mass shootings – which left 17 students and staff dead n 2018.
Nicolas Cruz, now 24, was sentenced to life in prison in October for the Valentine’s Day massacre at the high school.
Jurors returned the verdict of recommending life in prison after just a day of deliberations and a three-months long trial that included graphic videos and photos, heart-wrenching testimony from victims’ family members and a tour of the still blood-spattered school building.
The massacre is the deadliest mass shooting that has ever gone to trial in the U.S.
The shooting stunned the nation and reignited debate on gun control since Cruz had legally purchased the gun he used despite his history of mental issues.
On March 24, 2018, nationwide marches inspired by school shooting survivors and parents of victims brought together 1.5 million people — the largest public turnout ever in defense of stricter gun control laws in America.
But the Parkland shooting prompted no significant reform and gun sales have continued to rise.
There have been more mass shootings, including one in May that left 19 young children and two adults dead at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.