Nine high school students have been arrested after allegedly attacking a 17-year-old classmate who stood up to bullying, leaving the teenager with injuries that required 11 stitches.
According to reports, the incident began at Harmony High School in Florida when the teen intervened after students allegedly threw carrots at a girl in the school cafeteria. He reportedly confronted two students before leaving the cafeteria with the girl.
But the confrontation allegedly did not end there.
Police say one of the students attacked the teen as he walked toward his car after the final school bell. Eight others allegedly joined in, turning the encounter into a nine-on-one assault.
Cellphone footage of the incident reportedly captured several students striking the victim while others watched and shouted. The teenager’s girlfriend eventually intervened to help break up the fight.
His mother later took him to the hospital, where he received 11 stitches for his injuries.
Authorities used the video to identify the alleged attackers. Two suspects, both 18, were booked into the Osceola County Jail, while the seven younger suspects were taken to a juvenile assessment center.
All nine have been charged with felony aggravated battery and felony inciting a riot, according to authorities. The county sheriff has called for the students to be tried as adults.
School district officials condemned the violence and stressed that such behavior would not be tolerated, whether on or off campus.
The case has sparked concern over school bullying and the consequences faced by students who turn a confrontation into a group attack. Authorities continue to address the case as the accused students face the legal process.