Students at a Washington state high school were in for a terrifying school day on Monday, October 16, when a group of masked individuals stormed into the building. The incident that occurred at Auburn Riverside High School left the entire tight-knit school community shook up, resulting in 532 students being absent from school the following day.
Parents are fearful for their children’s safety and administrators are taking swift action to bring accountability to those responsible.
Parents left shocked and concerned after a group of five masked kids came barging inside Auburn Riverside High School and attacking students down the school's hallway. https://t.co/9ldldljIbi
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) October 22, 2023
The Auburn Police Department reported that five masked people approached a side door of the school building around 1 p.m., entered into a classroom and ran through hallways pushing four students and punching one other student. The chaos was intense as students scrambled to safety, leaving many scared and worried about returning to school.
Administrators quickly stepped into action chasing the intruders off campus grounds. It is believed that this incident stemmed from a fight on school grounds last week. Following the incident, the local high school went into “secure and teach” lockdown with exterior and interior doors closed throughout the rest of the day while students stayed in their designated classrooms.
This incident highlights how important it is for schools to prioritize student safety above all else whilst taking necessary measures against disruption in order protect its students and faculty from any future incidents similar incidents occurring again without compromising learning opportunities for its pupils. When disturbances arise within learning environments it is essential that those responsible are held accountable in order to create a safe environment conducive for learning where everybody feels secure.
Moving forward there needs to be solid collaboration between local law enforcement agencies and educational institutions in order ensure that no further incidents like these occur on campuses anywhere across America.
Furthermore, clear guidelines need to be set out ensuring appropriate disciplinary action is applied swiftly towards anyone disrupting learning environments.
