Beating At Lockport East High School Likely Drug-Related
CHICAGO (CBS)--CBS 2 has learned that drugs played a major role in the fight that took place here yesterday at Lockport East High School.
Students and parents say there is an ongoing feud between two groups of students and this ugly incident was directly connected to another fight that took place last Friday in the boys bathroom.
The conflict may have involved marijuana.
Now administrators say they do not have any evidence of drug incidents at the school, but they do acknowledge that drugs may have been a trigger in this attack.
Superintendent Todd Wernet said the school employs a resource officer and other school staff to help keep security tight. The school also has 73 security cameras, he said.
"We have a very strong presence in the building," he said.
There was a strong police presence at the school on Friday because there was talk of retaliation, and social media posts about students bringing guns to school.
About 10 percent of the school's 2,600 students stayed home today. That's about 260 students. Those who did attend class say tensions were high.
"Like everyone's jumpy and whatnot and I don't know, it's just weird seeing cops just sitting in the halls and I don't know it just gets people really amped up," said student Andrew Lewis. "Not amped up in a way but just like less down--on the down-low, just scared."
Another student, Devin Moats, also described the atmosphere in the school.
"We weren't really allowed to be in the hallways," he said. "It was like a million cops everywhere."
Moats said the police presence made him feel safer.
Lewis said it's rare for students to help other students when fights break out.
"I guess with fights people just want to take out their phones and record it," Lewis said.