Trending News

Kindergarten Brawl: 8 Attendees of Graduation Ceremony Arrested for Aggravated Rioting

By

Eight people were arrested and could be charged with aggravated rioting in a brawl that broke out at the end of a Cleveland kindergarten graduation ceremony, reported the Plain Dealer.

Cleveland Police Commander Wayne Drummond said the fight broke out around 11 a.m. just as the ceremony at Michael R. White Elementary was ending. The fight reportedly started with two teenage girls over spilled punch.

As the fight escalated, adults, presumably families of the girls, got involved. One person reportedly pulled a pipe and another a hammer.

Police hurried to the scene due to early reports of shots being fired. Those reports ended up being false.

"You had adults fighting adults, juvies fighting juvies, and so forth," Drummond said. "You just had a melee here."

The Commander also added that no one was hurt and district spokesman Roseann Canfora said none of the students of the school were involved in the melee.

"It was a very chaotic scene," Drummond said.

At least 10 squad cars were on the elementary school's campus. According to Drummond, police were able to settle the fight quickly after arriving.

In accordance with city procedures, no charges will be filed until prosecutor review the case. Aggravated rioting is the likely charge for the eight people arrested.

The school was put on lockdown and parents streamed in to pick up their children.

Brianna Smith, a parent of two who attend the school rushed to the scene to get her sons, age 7 and 12, after a neighbor informed her of the fight.

"It makes me not want to send them for the rest of the school year," she said. "For all I know, it could get worse."

City Councilman Jeff Johnson lives across the street from the school and saw the fight spill outside.

"It is embarrassing that parents during a kindergarten promotion cannot control themselves, and what we tried to do was respond significantly," he said. "We're not going to have people coming into our schools, being disrespectful, fighting. So I support them being hauled off."

© 2024 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Join the Discussion
Real Time Analytics