Sixth teen busted in viral mob beating at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS
A sixth teen has been arrested in connection with the brutal mob beating of a student at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, site of one of the worst school shootings in the nation’s history.
Coral Springs police arrested Anthony Casseus, 15, Thursday after asking the public for help in tracking him down.
“Thank you to everyone who helped us!” police said in a Facebook post.
The bust comes after viral video emerged of the victim being attacked from all sides in the Parkland, Florida, school’s student parking lot on December 12.
The unidentified victim suffered a skull fracture and other injuries.
Five teens had been charged with felony battery in connection with the assault before the last suspect was taken into custody late Thursday.
The ugly incident revived difficult memories at the school, where gunman Nikolas Cruz gunned down 14 students and three staffers on Valentine’s Day 2018.
He was sentenced to 17 life terms in prison last year for the massacre.
Parents — including parents of Parkland victims — criticized administrators last week for attempting to distance themselves from the beatdown by stressing that it technically took place off campus.
Fred Guttenberg, whose child was slain during Cruz’s rampage, said students are entitled to feel safe not only in school — but around it.
“For years since the shooting I have referenced that true school security involves what happens outside that perimeter,” he said. “And I have specifically talked about that parking lot.”
The five teens who were already in custody were identified by police as Sylvester Hicks, 16, Jahmeer Beauziel, 17, Caleb Hensley, 17, Jordan Thompson, 16, and Chinua Leefatt, 15.
Four are students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas and the fifth attended nearby Coral Glades High School.
It was not immediately clear if Casseus was enrolled at Stoneman Douglas.
In an email to parents last week, school principal Michelle Kefford said she would seek the expulsion of students involved in the assault.
“We are also doing everything we can through district processes to ensure these students do not return to our campus,” she wrote in the message.
