Two campus supervisors and a student were assaulted at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside on Tuesday, May 20, after family members of a student involved in an earlier altercation trespassed onto campus and initiated a second fight, officials said.
At some point during the school day, a fight broke out between two male students on campus, said Officer Ryan Railsback, a spokesman for Riverside police. Afterward, one of the students contacted his family members, who then went to the school.
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Relatives, at least two or three, barged onto campus, bypassing the standard protocol for visitors, Railsback said. They found the other student involved in the initial altercation and began a second physical fight, he added.
Two campus supervisors — district-employed security staff members not affiliated with the Police Department — attempted to intervene but were assaulted, Railsback said. They did not suffer serious injuries.
By the time police arrived at the scene, the student and his family members had fled. The other student was transported to a hospital for treatment but did not sustain major injuries.
The Riverside Police Department’s School Resource Officer Unit is investigating the case alongside school and district administrators.
“Law enforcement responded swiftly, and an investigation is underway,” the Riverside Unified School District said in a statement. “Two campus supervisors and one student were assaulted during the incident.
“The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority, and we are fully cooperating with the Riverside Police Department,” it continued. “We are taking all legal steps to hold those involved in the assault and those who trespassed accountable for their actions.”
On Wednesday, outside the high school, Jada Thompson, 24, waited in her car to pick up her younger brother, a junior. She usually feels the campus is secure.
“It kind of freaked me out at first, but my brother texted me he was fine,” Thompson said. “Most days, yeah, I think security’s tight. But if someone still got in, that’s a problem.”
Olivia Delgado, 39, was waiting in her car to pick up her niece.
“She’s still getting used to the school, and stuff like this is kind of scary,” Delgado said. “Maybe they just need to be a little more on top of things. Parents drop their children off hoping and praying they’re in good hands, so when something like this happens it’s just a wake-up call that the world is still a crazy place.”
Junior Christopher Martinez, 17, said he and his friends weren’t too shaken by the situation.
“No one was really worried about it. People are talking about it, though,” Martinez said as he stood outside the parking lot with a friend after school. “For the most part, me and my friends feel safe on campus. This is the first time anything like this has ever happened that I’m aware of, so I don’t really see it as a super big issue.”
RUSD spokesperson Liz Pinney-Muglia said the district will increase security measures on campus for the remainder of the school year. Additional personnel will be present, and daily check-ins between school administration, school resource officers and Riverside Police will take place to help ensure coordination and vigilance, Pinney-Muglia said.