Ten students were arrested after a massive fight broke out between rival schools following a bomb scare at a south suburban Chicago high school Monday.
The melee started when 1,400 students from Rich Central High School were bused to Rich South following a bomb scare at Central, said NBC Chicago.
Tensions between the rival schools are so high, the district no longer allows night football games against each other due to fights and violence. Both schools are in suburban Richton Park, about 30 miles south of Chicago.
Once the Rich Central students were outside, someone pulled a fire alarm inside Rich South, sending another 1,000 students flooding outside.
One witness told ABC Chicago, "it was just like 200 people running at you at once," while Rich Central parent Tracey Younger said, "It was just a stampede of kids all coming this way and fights started this way."
Three female students were injured when they were trampled during the fire alarm evacuation and were hospitalized, the Sun-Times reports. A Rich South teacher and a Richton Park police officer also were treated for injuries sustained in the chaotic scene.
Ultimately, 10 students were charged with mob action with one student, 17-year-old Crystal Gholson of Country Club Hills, being charged as an adult. Police say more arrests are possible after officials review surveillance footage.
In a statement issued Monday, the Rich Township school district said Central students "were evacuated due to the device having a detonation time" but didn't address the ensuing brawls.
Administrators say bringing students from two schools together on one campus was actually an evacuation plan they prepared with police over the summer. A school administrator has since told ABC the evacuation plan is being reviewed.
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