UPDATED: Non-Students Assault Stonewall Jackson HS Student on Campus

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Photo Courtesy of Prince William County Schools

UPDATE/CORRECTION, Sept. 25 at 9:40 a.m.

Police learned the suspect they apprehended after an assault at Stonewall Jackson High School is a 17-year-old juvenile male and not an 18 adult as originally reported. The mistake was due to a clerical error.

In keeping with how we report on juveniles, the suspect's identity and personal information have been removed from this article.

The case is being transferred to Juvenline Domestic Relations Court.

Original Article with Corrections: 

Four non-student young people trespassed onto Stonewall Jackson High School property, Friday, and assaulted a student who was participating in PE class.

Prince William Police apprehended one of the individuals, a 17-year-old of Manassas, who they believe has ties to the 18th Street gang.

September 20 at 1:57 p.m., a School Resource Officer (SRO) received information about an assault that was reported to have occurred at Stonewall Jackson High School (SJHS) located at 8820 Rixlew Lane in Manassas, Prince William County.

The investigation revealed, the victim, an 18-year-old male student, was approached by four known individuals while participating in a class being held outside on the athletic field.

"During the encounter, the suspects struck and kicked the victim multiple times before fleeing on foot," said police spokesperson Officer Renee Carr. "School staff notified the SRO immediately and requested rescue respond for the student."

The student was transported to a local area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers responding to the area, located three individuals walking from the school who matched the description of the suspects given by witnesses. The officers detained the suspects and Gang Unit Detectives responded to assume the investigation.

Following the investigation, the suspect who was determined not to be a student at SJHS, was arrested.

During the investigation, detectives were able to identify the suspect as a member of the criminal street gang, 18th Street.

The investigation continues as detectives seek information about additional suspects believed to be involved in the incident.

Police arrested the suspect and charged him with assault & battery, trespassing on school grounds, possession of a weapon on school grounds and gang participation.

His court date is pending. He is being transferred to Juvenile Domestic Relations Court.

Friday, Principal Dr. Richard Nichols emailed a letter to parents informing them about the incident:

The safety and security of our students and staff is our number one priority. I want to share that today toward the end of the day, three non-students at SJHS jumped the school fence and assaulted a student they knew who was participating in an outside physical education class. The student was not seriously hurt.

This incident was immediately reported, and the police quickly apprehended the youths involved. We are cooperating with the Prince William Police Department and we understand that charges are pending.

Thank you for your continued support of Stonewall Jackson High School. With everyone's help, we can continue to keep our school a safe and effective place to learn.

Anyone with information regarding the incidents listed in this report is asked to contact the Prince William County Police Department tipline at 703.792.7000 or submit a webtip to: www.pwcgov.org/policetip.

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