Big Fight at Nova/World School Yesterday

From the Stranger Slog:

A Central District high school was locked down yesterday afternoon as police responded to reports that a former student and suspected gang member had assaulted several peers and had allegedly pulled a gun on one student. 

Students from Nova High school and the World School, a multilingual school for newly arrived immigrant and refugee students that shares space with Nova, were locked into the building at around 2:30 p.m. yesterday, after teens reported seeing a bloody, brass-knuckle-fueled fight between at least four high school students on the schools' playfield.

"A 14-year-old student who used to go to the World School had basically been kicked out and was going to Chief Sealth school, but he wanted to be re-admitted and the principal had turned down his request," confirms Teresa Whipple, a spokeswoman for SPS. "He’d apparently shown up at the school to confront some students. He said they were spreading rumors that were keeping him out of the school."

The former student, with an older friend, came to school and confronted a couple of students about talking about him on Facebook.   He then started hitting one student with brass knuckles.

At some point, the suspect pulled a gun on another student.   That student got away but the suspect and his friend told the remaining students that he and his friend were part of a Salvadoran gang and would come back.

The three victims declined medical attention. A search failed to unearth the suspects or a firearm. Because of the district's no weapons policy, "the 14-year-old has been long-term expelled from Sealth until the police investigation is complete and we understand what his role was," Whipple says. "We won’t make any final decisions until that’s done."

Comments

Anonymous said…
That is seriously disturbing. A bloody brass knuckles fight, and then a gun is pulled? Thank god no one was injured seriously. This could have been deadly.

Kristin
Anonymous said…
And then I came home to this on KOMO, a news story about SWAT team and narcotic officers closing down 15th Ave. NW at 5 AM today while serving a search warrent on an apt, a block from Ballard HS. Turns out it is a known drug house where "a number of students" from Whitman MS and Ballard HS go to buy their pot. They found a grow op along with joints, brownies, 6 handguns, 4 shotguns, 2 pellet guns and a .22 caliber rifle & nearly $5,000 in cash. 3 adults were arrested. That's quite an arsenal.

NW parent
Charlie Mas said…
No students from The NOVA Project were involved in the violence at the Meany Building. NOVA went into a "shelter in place".

The school has resumed regular classes and activities.

District security will have a presence at the building for the coming days.
Anonymous said…
Yikes. I wonder what the law is for the parents of immigrants who commit crimes- are their parents deported along with their child? Obviously a very troubled soul who needs help, I hope it reaches him before something terrible happens.
TS
Yeah, NW parent, the comment from a neighbor was priceless. He said something to the effect of "of course we knew he was dealing drugs. He had tons of high school kids coming in and out of his house all day."

The article mentions he was selling to middle and high school students. The dealer was at 67th and 15th and Ballard is at 65th and 15th.
Anonymous said…
Been hearing a lot about pot and students lately. Probably not more kids smoking, as I've heard from some, but rather more openness or brazenness about it since the I 502.
SPS should get a program like FLASH to talk to kids about this before middle school.
CJ


Anonymous said…
Ah the irony. An Administrator at Garfield has said they are concerned about NOVA returning to their old space as they are known drug sellers. Right, guess not.

signed,

Laughing my ass off
Kurt said…
Charlie

Is the security presence at Nova/World school something new?

Should there not be that presence EVERY DAY?

There would be if our daughter attended there.
Kurt, good question.

I think all the comprehensive high schools have security officers. BUT, they are not armed (of course) and, if the students leave the premises, they cannot go after them.

A few of the high schools do have a police officer assigned. There used to be a community officer at nearly all the high schools (and they would rotate in the area with the middle schools) but the City ran out of money for that.

Having an officer that regularly visits the building, making connections with kids, is invaluable in many ways.

Now that we are going to have both a new mayor AND a new police chief, I plan on asking all the candidates what their commitment to safety at schools will look like under their administration. (I was allowed into the press conferences for police chief candidates last round and I asked them about school security in their cities. All except Diaz had very good answers.)
NOVA Mom said…
District security what a joke

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Open Thread

Why the Majority of the Board Needs to be Filled with New Faces

Who Is A. J. Crabill (and why should you care)?