By Crime Watch MN
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL, Minn. – Twin Cities metro area schools and communities have seen a rash of violent incidents involving teens in the last few months, with the latest on Wednesday at Armstrong High School in Plymouth.
A video posted on social media Wednesday showed an apparent brawl in a crowded hallway at the school with several people trying to intervene.
Day that ends in Y, another day of violence in a Twin Cities metro school. Today it’s Armstrong. School is canceled on Thursday (learn from home).
From the principal: On Wednesday afternoon several students were involved in a fight during passing time between 5th and 6th period.… pic.twitter.com/fyKdoD6TFh
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) May 16, 2024
Armstrong school Principal Erick D. Norby later sent a statement to school families saying several students were involved in the fight between class periods and that staff intervened, and Plymouth police were brought in to “provide support.”
Norby said in the statement that the school was placed on a “hold” where students were asked to stay in place until further notice, but he noted that school was dismissed on time.
Due to the “gravity of the incident,” Norby said in the statement that most students would be asked to participate in distance learning from home on Thursday and that only students in certain programs or testing situations would be allowed at school. He said only kids in “center-based programming” would be provided transportation on Thursday; others coming to school for testing would need to find their own transportation as buses were being canceled.
Norby declined to offer more details about what led to the fight, citing student data privacy laws, but he said the incident is being investigated.
The Armstrong incident is just the latest in a string of fights or violent incidents involving teens in or around schools and community events that have been happening frequently, sometimes several in a week.
Just this month:
- A carnival in Blaine had to be shut down last weekend following a large violent melee involving teens ages 14-18.
- A brawl was captured on video at Columbia Heights High School during a “culture night” event.
- A female was detained by police at Edina High School following a reported incident involving pepper spray.
- Two separate altercations in one day at Roseville High School required a police response.
- A brawl at Eden Prairie High School was captured on video.
Incidents in April included a third-grader allegedly being assaulted by a group over her religious beliefs; Richfield Middle School was evacuated following a fight and deployment of a fire extinguisher in the building; a Burnsville student was charged after being found with a gun; and chaos erupted at Mall of America on the Muslim Eid holiday.
Earlier incidents include mayhem by teens at Roseville High School and area businesses following a Black Student Union event; a police officer was injured at Fridley High School trying to break up a fight; a white student was attacked at Savage Middle School; a melee was captured on video at the Target Center during the high school basketball tournament; there was a stabbing or injury to a student at Minnetonka High School following an altercation between two students; there was a large brawl involving parents and students following a middle school basketball game in Minneapolis; and a mother and daughter were charged with “bias” crimes following an assault and “racially motivated” incident at St. Louis Park High School in January.
Additionally, there have recently been several violent robberies and other violent incidents in Dinkytown and areas surrounding the University of Minnesota campus believed to be spurred by teens.
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
This article originally appeared at Alpha News and was reprinted with permission.
