Fight at MCHS posted on video sites
BY KRISTI REED
Several students are facing criminal charges and school disciplinary measures stemming from their involvement in a large fight at Mill Creek High School on Tuesday morning.
The altercation involved members of a group calling itself “”2-1”.” School officials are currently investigating “”2-1”” to determine whether or not the group is a gang.
The fight was captured on video by a student using a cell phone camera.
The 3:45 second video shows several students arguing. Racial slurs and profanity are clearly audible throughout the exchange. At least three Mill Creek staff members are shown trying to disperse the crowds prior to the physical altercation.
One teacher is shown separating the two primary parties in the incident. As the teacher turns away, one student attacks the other sending both crashing into a display case in the hallway.
As the fight escalates, several staff members can be seen trying to separate the combatants. Just before the video ends, students are shown continuing to argue with each other.
The video of the March 18 incident was initially posted on YouTube, a popular video sharing web site. By the time the video was removed Wednesday afternoon, it had been viewed more than 3,600 times and had over 190 comments posted.
The student who posted the video, “Brandon138”, wrote: “”The guy in red, Kevin, fought that other guy skip, because of a gang called 2-1 that the guy in red is in. Skip said f--- 2-1 and those 2-1 guys as you see, proceeded to jump him. Kid in the red is a p-- for sucker punching him though.””
The posting was accompanied by numerous racially charged comments as well as several seemingly gang-related ones.
One comment in particular refers to being “”jumped in”,” a common gang initiation practice. The poster wrote: “”kevins full of bull----. if 2-1 ever messes with skip or any of my homeboys again... i swear man. fake ass n------. yall didnt even get jumped in and yall expect to jump people out? F----- lames.””
“DashalWilliams” wrote: “”yea but wen u see a fight wit my brotha itz important to me cuz he my brotha s--- he family to me both of demz”“
Though the video was removed from YouTube, within hours it had reappeared on several sites, including Google videos.
On Google, the anonymous poster wrote: “”This video documents the fight that took place on March 18th 2008 in the halls of Mill Creek High School. I am taking the time to repost it in order to counter the censorship that it has undergone thanks to youtube and the people running our school.””
Jorge Quintana, Director of Media Relations for Gwinnett County Public Schools, confirmed that a large fight did take place at Mill Creek before the start of school on Tuesday.
“It is something that is out of the norm for Mill Creek,” he said. “The school is investigating to find the students involved in the fight and disciplinary action will take place as well as criminal charges that are pending.”
Posted March 20, 2008; 12:15 p.m.
