(Memphis) All after-school activities at Southwind High School, including the football game, have been canceled because of safety concerns.
Five Southwind High School students were arrested.
Just after 7 a.m., the sheriff’s office got a call that fights were breaking out at Southwind High School, so deputies immediately put it on lock-down so they could take control of the students and investigate what happened.
“I saw people swinging, and I said I going to go on to my room because I don’t want to be in all that mix up,” said Darien Lofties.
The student was just feet away from one of the fights.
“I’m glad they got it under control because you never know what could have happened. You know how the gangs is with the guns and knives and stuff. You never know what can happen,” said Lofties.
Deputies searched the school for weapons as parents lined up to find out what was going on.
They got a phone call from Shelby County Schools explaining the lock-down, but many came here to see for themselves.
“Fights in high school primarily consist of pushing and shoving matches, but there were several pockets of individuals who were getting into it,” said Chip Washington with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Washington says the fights may stem from a shooting Thursday night off campus on Easterly Lane.
Two teenagers were shot after a fight broke out between about 20 people.
The lock-down lasted through the day until the students were released at their regular time in the afternoon.
“There could be the possibility that there were gangs involved in this. We don’t know yet,” said Washington.
That’s bad news for parents like Lakiesha Moore.
Moore is trying to transfer her daughter because she feels her daughter is in danger at Southwind due to a gang problem.
“She’s been telling me for the past couple of weeks every day there is a fight. Even when she gets off the school bus it’s a fight,” said Moore.
That students father Jeremy Henderson says things have gotten out of control at Southwind.
“I thought this was a nice school. This is a decent area I thought,” said Henderson.
The school district has no comment on any possible gang issues at the school.
The school district is canceling all after-school activities including tonight’s football game.
