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AISD investigates fight at Akins High School
In a letter to parents and staff, Akins Early College High School has confirmed that a recent fight is believed to be gang related.
AUSTIN, Texas - In a letter to parents and staff, Akins Early College High School has confirmed that a recent fight is believed to be gang related.
Akins ECHS ‘gang-related’ fighting
The backstory:
The letter was first sent out by Akins Early College High School Principal Carman De Leon on Tuesday. It states that last week, Austin ISD Police began an investigation into a fight that happened in the Akins cafeteria on August 25.
All students were immediately removed from campus as part of the investigation and did not return to campus following the incident.
The letter goes on to state that the individuals involved were charged with riot, a class B misdemeanor, and the incident is believed to be gang related.
Akins ECHS says it is actively working with Austin ISD Police "to ensure the safety of our campus community."
You can read the full letter below:
What's next:
At a PTA meeting scheduled for Wednesday night, Austin ISD Police were set to discuss campus safety and provide families with information on gang activity prevention. That meeting has now been rescheduled for Sept. 17, in conjunction with the Principal Coffee Chat.
Akins ECHS says they are currently providing counseling and licensed mental health professionals for any students who "may be experiencing strong emotions related to what they witnessed or heard."
Student speaks about fighting at Akins ECHS
Local perspective:
"I feel like it gets bad here when it comes down to fighting," says Serenity, a junior at Akins.
She told FOX 7 that it’s not uncommon to see a fight unfolding in the halls.
"I would actually say pretty often, yeah. It happens regularly," she said.
Serenity says that during those fights, it is when some students start to make the claim that they’re in gangs.
"When there are like confrontations or people fighting, almost every single fight, they're talking about a gang that they're in," Serenity said.
It’s when this sort of fight breaks out that Serenity claims it can be hard to feel safe, saying that she’s even witnessed a student bring a weapon to school.
"When I'm in the area of when it's happening, I don't feel safe at all because I feel like it's easy to let your anger take control of you. And I sometimes feel it is being taken too far," says Serenity. "I have seen one time when someone did, like I saw a gun, but they never pulled it out or anything like that."
The Source: Information from Akins Early College High School Principal Carman De Leon and from a junior student