Eight Abington Senior High School students were arrested Thursday after a fight broke out inside the school's cafeteria, police said.
No one was seriously injured and Abington Township police are investigating the fight. More students may be charged, police said. The fight, which occurred at 11:28 a.m., was brought under control quickly by an Abington police school resource officer, school personnel and the school's security team, according to police.
The eight teens who were arrested were transported to the police station and charged with riot and simple assault, police said.
The fight was part of a seven-month string of social media sparring, altercations and "other crimes" between two groups of students, Abington Police Chief Patrick Molloy told 6ABC. One of their ongoing arguments stems from the death of 16-year-old Abington student Keivon Abraham, who was fatally shot in Philadelphia in May, police said.
"The safety and security of our students are of utmost importance, and we take such incidents very seriously," ASHS Principal Angelo Berrios said in a letter posted to the Abington School District website. "We are cooperating fully with the police in their investigation into this matter. Our school is committed to maintaining a safe and secure learning environment for all students. It is essential that we take this opportunity to remind our students of the importance of conflict resolution, acceptance, and respect for one another."
Abington Senior High School, at 900 Highland Ave. in Abington, has about 1,900 students enrolled in grades 10-12. It ranked 54th in Pennsylvania on the latest U.S. News & World Report high school rankings.
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