Police have released new details of their investigation into an attack at Dublin High School last Friday, saying an argument with a parent sparked the attack, in which four teenagers beat a student in the boys’ locker room.
The statement from Dublin Police Services on Tuesday afternoon confirms some details made public by school principal Maureen Byrne and contradicts others, including Byrne’s original claim that all five attackers were adults.
“It is not believed this was a random incident, and school security officials continue to interview witnesses and collect video evidence to determine a motive and how the victim, suspect and parents of Dublin High School know each other,” Dublin Police Lieutenant Kevin Monaghan said in the press release.
According to Monaghan, police officers responded to Dublin High around 3:30 p.m. on Friday (August 23) after receiving a call about a fight on campus after school. When police arrived, a 15-year-old boy was taken to a local hospital with facial and head injuries that were deemed non-life-threatening. The student was treated and released shortly afterward.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the teenager was confronted by a parent at Dublin High School and then retreated to the locker room, but was followed by the parent and four unidentified people, Monaghan said.
“The four unknown individuals, wearing hoodies, reportedly assaulted the victim until the fight ended. They then fled the area,” the lieutenant said. “The four individuals have not been identified; however, they were described as being approximately 16 to 19 years old.”
Byrne said in an email to the school community that football players and head coach Napoleon Kaufman helped break up the altercation.
The Rector also explained that much of what happened before and after the attack was captured on video and that Dublin Police had already identified some of those involved – a point that is now unclear following Monaghan’s case report. Byrne added that the incident would lead to changes in campus security.
“We are outraged that this happened on our campus. The school must be a place where everyone feels safe and supported,” Byrne said in her email. “We are working with police to combat this to the fullest extent of the law.”
“We will ensure that adults continue to be present in the locker rooms. Until further notice, the hallways leading to the parking lot will remain closed and students will have to enter through the practice area doors,” she added.
