A teenage girl in St. Louis County remained in the hospital with critical injuries Monday after being savagely beaten Friday afternoon near an area high school. Her 15-year-old assailant was arrested on Saturday and is being held on assault charges, Fox2Now reported.
Graphic and disturbing video of the beatdown outside Hazelwood East High School appeared on social media over the weekend.
The altercation between two girls—the white victim, and a larger black assailant—took place amid a street brawl involving mostly black students.
A faceoff between the two girls quickly escalated to brutal violence as the larger girl threw the victim to the ground and proceeded to pummel her in the face and head with her fists. After the victim tried to get up, the larger teen pinned her down and repeatedly slammed her head onto the pavement, leaving her unconscious and convulsing.
A neighbor began filming as a mob of teens gathered in the street Friday afternoon, just after the school day ended, according to Fox2Now.
The video does not show anyone attempting to help the girl or stop the fights. Police arrived to find the victim laying in the street and suffering from a severe head injury. She was rushed to the hospital where she is listed in critical condition. Authorities have not released the girl’s age or identity.
The assailant was taken to the St. Louis County Family Court and remained in custody as of Sunday afternoon.
After LibsOfTikTok posted the viral video, people from the community reached out to say such brutal, racially-charged altercations in the Hazelwood School District have been common for years, with one former student saying that he was targeted over 20 years ago because he was white and his assailant hated white people.
The situation became more dangerous for white students in 2021, when three local police departments pulled their resource officers due to the Hazelwood School District’s demand that they receive ten hours of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training. The district reportedly added the training requirement to a long-standing contract, and the police departments objected, saying they “believe our officers receive training that is more than adequate and addresses the critical matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Since then, officers from the Hazelwood, Florissant and St. Louis County police departments have not returned.
Hazelwood School District parent Lynda Pearson, who had five kids attend schools in the district, says there were fights almost daily at the high school when her daughter, a 2020 grad, went there. She thinks the district “100 percent needs” the resource officers.
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell called the incident “sickening and so difficult to watch.”
“Just heartbreaking,” he wrote on X, but added that the matter is in the hands of the county juvenile courts and does not fall under his office’s jurisdiction unless the 15-year-old is certified as an adult.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote on X that he believes that is exactly what should happen.
“This evil and complete disregard for human life has no place in Missouri, or anywhere. I am praying for the victim,” Bailey wrote. “The criminal should be charged and tried as an adult. If the victim dies, that offense should rise to a homicide.”
The Hazelwood School District said in a statement:
“It is a tragedy anytime children are hurt. Bullying and fighting in the community is an issue for which we all need to take ownership and work towards a resolution for the sake of our children. The Hazelwood School District offers our sincerest condolences to everyone involved, and will offer additional emotional support from our support and crisis team to those in need. We look forward to continuing to partner with our community for the sake of our children. Please be kind and respectful of the families involved during this difficult time and pledge to help work toward the betterment of our entire community.”