Sometimes we hear about really exciting, positive things happening at city schools. And sometimes we hear more distressing news.
Last night, we got an anonymous tip about a series of fights that have taken place recently at a school in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx. “The areas between East 225th and East 233rd St. have become a war zone. … Children who are trying to get a good education are now too scared to go to school” because of gang violence that seems to be escalating, the tipster wrote about a building that houses New World High School, the Academy for Scholarship and Entrepreneurship, Bronxwood Preparatory Academy, and P754X, a school that serves students with disabilities.
Multiple fights took place on Friday the building’s lobby and police arrested one student for possessing a knife, a Department of Education spokeswoman, Marge Feinberg, confirmed. Five other students were cited for disorderly conduct, and three students were taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, Feinberg said.
Here’s the full account from the person who e-mailed GothamSchools:
New World High School, which is located on 921 East 228th St Bronx NY 10466 is in CRISIS. On Friday, April 16th, at around 12:00pm, a gang riot erupted in the lobby of the school building. The building houses 4 schools, and the two other schools involved are The Academy of Scholarship and Entrepreneurship and Bronxwood Prepatory Academy. Around lunch time, ASE and Bronxwood Prep students rushed the lobby and security desk and began throwing punches, umbrellas, bats, and other objects at the students from New World. The perpetrators were targeting only Dominican students. The fight was so bad that the security guards were assaulted and many injuries occurred. A knife was recovered and arrests were made. A security tape which shows the entire event unfold exists and is quite disturbing to watch. Later that afternoon, while walking from the school to the train station on East 233rd St., a student from New World was stabbed in the leg by an alleged gang member. Although teachers, police, and transit workers were present, a fight erupted and the student had to be taken to the Emergency Room. He is OK now but the whole community is extremely shaken up. The schools involved and the police are trying to control the situation, however more fights and assaults are happening every day. There are no metal detectors in the schools. There is little police presence in the neighborhood. The areas between East 225th and East 233rd St. have become a war zone. Please investigate this story as it is NOT over and more injuries/fights are likely to occur in the next few days as the Dominican students and gangs prepare to retaliate. The gangs involved seem to be the Bloods, the Latin Kings, and DDP. As I said, I want to remain anonymous but PLEASE investigate this story. Children who are trying to get a good education are now too scared to go to school.