Four of the teenage suspects who brutally beat a student outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida have been pictured following an assault charge.
Chinua Leefatt, 15, Jordan Thompson, 16, Caleb Hensley, 17, and Sylvester Hicks Jr., 16, are all in custody and their mugshots have been released. Jahmeer Beautziel, 17, remains outstanding.
All of the accused attackers attend the school – which was the site of one of the worst mass shootings – except for Leefatt, who attends Coral Glades High School.
Video of the shocking fight shows a teenager carrying the victim over his shoulder before slamming him headfirst into the concrete, fracturing his skull and rendering him unconscious.
A friend of the victim said 15 people chased him as he walked toward the school parking lot before the brutal attack.
In the video, at least two attackers can be seen continuing to hit the victim after he was thrown to the ground.
Chinua Leefatt, 15, left, and Jordan Thompson, 16, were charged with assault
Caleb Hensley, 17, left, and Sylvester Hicks Jr., 16, were also charged and are in custody
Video of the shocking fight shows a teenager carrying the victim over his shoulder before slamming him headfirst into the concrete, knocking him out
Several other teenagers then approach the student and appear to try to help him, but he is unresponsive
Several other teenagers then approach the unnamed student and appear to try to help him, but he does not respond.
Witnesses said a teenager pulled out a knife during the altercation last week.
Patrick Fox, a friend of the victim, told WSVN: “I was there when they started chasing him, but when I left he was in an ambulance leaving so I heard he fractured his skull had or something.”
The student who was attacked was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries following the attack and is reportedly now recovering at home.
Coral Springs Police detectives made arrests overnight Thursday and all four were taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
The suspects were all charged with one count of assault, which police said reflects “the seriousness of their actions.”
“Our detectives worked tirelessly around the clock alongside our law enforcement partners, including the Broward Sheriff's Office and the Broward County Prosecutor's Office, to quickly identify and arrest the individuals involved,” a police statement said.
“The safety of our community and our schools remains our top priority,” police said.
“This remains an ongoing investigation and further arrests may be forthcoming.” “We would like to reassure the public that such behavior will not be tolerated.”
Broward County School Board Chairwoman Lori Alhadeff also released a statement about the attack:
“This incident is deeply disturbing and we are grateful that the injured student is recovering.” Our thoughts are with him, his family and all families affected.
“We thank the Coral Springs Police Department and school administrators for their quick cooperation in identifying the five students. “Their arrests are a crucial lesson in the serious consequences one’s actions can have.”
A friend of the victim said 15 people were chasing him before the brutal attack
The five suspects were all charged with one count of assault, which police said reflects “the seriousness of their actions.”
In the video, at least two attackers can be seen continuing to hit the victim even after he was thrown to the ground
The Parkland school was the site of one of the country's worst mass shootings, killing 17 students and staff in 2018.
Nikolas Cruz, now 24, was sentenced to life in prison in October 2022 for the 2018 Valentine's Day massacre at the high school.
After just a day of deliberations and a three-month trial that included graphic videos and photos, heartbreaking statements from the victim's family members and a tour of the still blood-spattered school building, the jury reached a verdict of recommending life in prison.
The massacre is the deadliest mass shooting ever prosecuted in the United States
The shooting shocked the nation and reignited the debate over gun control since Cruz legally purchased the gun he used despite his mental health issues.
On March 24, 2018, nationwide marches inspired by school shooting survivors and parents of victims brought together 1.5 million people – the largest public turnout ever in defense of stricter gun control laws in America.
But the Parkland shooting did not spark significant reforms and gun sales continued to rise.
There have been other mass shootings, including one in May 2022 that left 19 young children and two adults dead at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.