A “race-driven” brawl broke out between black and Somali students at a Minneapolis high school, leading to the arrest of at least two adults accused of taking part.
Abreeha Annalisa Smith, 22, and Latoys Renail Milon, 41, were arrested but later released without charge after fighting broke out at St. Louis Park High School Minnesota on Thursday.
The first altercation occurred between a group of black and Somali students, it was claimed by CrimeWatchMinneapolisbut the situation escalated when parents, after becoming aware of the incident, allegedly joined the fray along with their children.
Latoys’ daughter, Sanaiah Milon, claimed she was punched and kicked to the ground by dozens of students earlier on Thursday over “a personal argument.” She denied that the fight was racially motivated, although the school continues to investigate the fight as such.
A possible ‘race-driven’ brawl broke out between black and Somali students at a Minneapolis high school, leading to the arrest of at least two adults who intervened
At least two adults have been arrested after two brutal fights broke out at St. Louis Park High School in Minnesota on Thursday
Sanaiah Milon reported earlier on Thursday that he was punched and kicked to the ground by dozens of students over ‘a personal argument’
Sanaiah said she had had an argument with a Somali student months earlier. A counselor and school principal intervened at the time and Sanaiah said she thought the problem had been resolved.
She was worried when other students warned her that she would be “jumped,” Sanaiah said KARE11 about the lead-up to Thursday’s attack.
‘And I got hit. And I got hit again from the other side. Then a student grabbed me by the neck and threw me away so that we were on the ground.
“And it was just kicks and punches. In my head it felt like it went on forever. I was just scared,” she added.
Videos circulating on social media platforms show Sanaiah being thrown to the ground and kicked as she tried to fight back.
She was eventually saved when a teacher pulled her away from the crowd and closed a door to the hallway. She suffered a swollen and bruised eye.
Class resumed after the heavy fight, but when the final bell rang, the situation escalated when Latoys, accompanied by her eldest daughter, arrived on the scene.
The 41-year-old mother said: ‘All I could think about was reaching my daughter. She needs help. She needs someone.”
In a video capturing the second fight, a boy wearing a green puffer jacket can be seen being knocked to the ground, surrounded by a few individuals who forcefully kicked him and ran away.
Latoys Renail Milon, 41, was arrested but later released without being charged with a crime. Her daughter reported earlier that day that she had been beaten by a group of students
Abreeha Annalisa Smith, 22, who had active arrest warrants at the time, was arrested and released in less than five hours
Sanaiah said, “And I got slapped. And I got hit again from the other side. Then a student grabbed me by the neck and threw me away, and we were on the ground.”
But as the final bell rang, the situation escalated when Latoys, accompanied by her eldest daughter, arrived on the scene.
Latoys, who had an active warrant for theft of services, was arrested and released within five hours.
Smith, the second person taken into custody, was found to have an active felony warrant for accessory to theft and two other pending cases related to theft.
St. Louis police said they believe the two individuals were “primarily responsible” for the altercation.
Latoys said she has not received any explanation from the school about the incident, including details about what caused the alleged attack.
“Now they’re trying to make it look like we’re the bad guys. It had nothing to do with race. I had nothing to do with anything. I was just trying to get to my daughter to make sure she’s okay,” Latoys said.
In a video capturing the second fight, a boy wearing a green puffer jacket can be seen being knocked to the ground, surrounded by a few individuals who forcefully kicked him and ran away.
The spokesperson emphasized that adults, who were not employees of the high school, became involved in the fight and escalated the situation.
Both Sanaiah and her mother denied that the fight was related to race, but a school district spokesperson said they are investigating “possible racial motivations.”
The high school canceled all classes on Friday and remained closed to students, families and the public
Both Sanaiah and her mother denied that the fight was related to race, but a school district spokesperson said they are investigating “possible racial motives.”
“We are actively gathering information and working closely with law enforcement to understand the full scope of these incidents, including whether or not the incidents were racially motivated,” the school said in a statement.
The high school canceled all classes on Friday and remained closed to students, families and the public.
The spokesperson emphasized that adults, who were not among the high school staff, became involved in the fight and escalated the situation.
They also revealed that both staff and students had suffered injuries, including scrapes and bruises, and had been seen by the school nurse.
“At this time there is no confirmation regarding the involvement of weapons in either altercation,” the spokesperson said.
They also said there will be additional safety measures in place when students return to school next week.
But Sanaiah said she will never go back.
She said St. Louis Park High School is no longer a safe place for her to go. “Not after what happened yesterday,” she added.