Three individuals have been formally charged following a violent altercation at St. Louis Park High School, an incident that was severe enough to halt classes. Latoys Milon, 41, Abreeha Smith, 22, and Jerome Smith Jr., 19, stand accused, each bearing charges of third-degree riot and fourth-degree assault, with additional charges for bias arising from the apparent targeting of Somali students. CBS Minnesota reported details of the clash and subsequent legal actions on January 25th, 2024.
The conflict erupted on January 18th when Milon, upon visiting the school, vociferously threatened to assault several students. This claim is backed by body camera footage from responding officers, in which Milon is captured saying, "I'll fight any Somali that comes down those stairs, bro," and making further threats to the group of Somali girls she encountered, as per details acquired by CBS News Minnesota. Surveillance footage corroborates these events, depicting Jerome Smith in combat with another student, while Milon's daughter joined in the fray.
Additional witnesses described a ruckus unfolding outside, where Abreeha and Jerome Smith, alongside two minors, were spotted embroiled in a fracas involving several Somali students. In a scene captured by school security cameras and described by the KSTP, the Smiths and Milon are seen getting out of a vehicle, aggressively confronting, and assaulting a Somali student, culminating in the group throwing the boy to the ground and striking him multiple times.
A female student reported being choked by Jerome Smith, a claim substantiated by surveillance footage, while yet another victim recounted a punch from Abreeha Smith. This string of assaults prompted school officials to suspend classes on the following day, and has led to an increased police presence around the campus, with interim Superintendent Kate Maguire advocating for tightened security and restricted campus access during lunch periods, in a statement to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
As of the report date, the mother and her daughter were temporarily detained but have since been released, and Jerome Smith has been charged but not taken into custody. The Somali community at St. Louis Park High remains shaken by the violence, which bears the weight of an apparent hate crime, compounding the already formidable challenges of navigating adolescence, identity, and education in America's charged social landscape. The Smith family's legal woes are just beginning as the school seeks to recover and reinforce a safe environment for all students.
