Six teens were hauled into a Broward County court yesterday, accused of the violent assault of a fellow student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month. The suspects, ranging from 15 to 17 years old, faced a judge following their release from a juvenile detention center, as reported by Local 10 News. The incident, captured on video and circulated on social media, unfolded on Dec. 12 near a park that also serves as an overflow parking lot for the high school.
In the video, the group of students can be seen lifting another student into the air before slamming him to the ground. The victim appears motionless and unconscious after the assault. The beaten student, who has not been named, suffered a skull fracture but has since been released from the hospital and is expected to recover, as stated by Local 10 News.
Authorities have charged Jahmeer Beauziel, Caleb Hensley, Sylvester Hicks Jr., Chinua Leefatt, Anthony Casellas, and Jordan Thompson with felony battery, reflecting the gravity, of their alleged actions, as reported by Local 10 News. The charged teens have been identified by staff from both Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and Coral Glades High School, the latter being the institution that Leefatt and Casellas attend.
In a separate account, the CBS News added that five teens were charged with felony battery after the altercation. The Coral Springs Police Department has been actively working on the case, making arrests and searching for an additional suspect involved in the attack. "The safety of our community, and schools remains our top priority," the Coral Springs Police Department articulated. Four of the accused are students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of a tragic 2018 shooting.
All six accused teens are now living under home detention while prosecutors continue to examine the evidence, including the harrowing footage of the attack. The group is slated to return to court in February, with a hung jury and prosecutors are urging a thorough review of all the material evidence. In the state of Florida, a conviction of felony battery could carry a sentence of up to five years in prison.
