Merced police continue investigation into El Capitan High fight, as classes resume
Classes resumed Friday at El Capitan High, one day after all students were sent home after a campus fight resulted in Merced police responding to the school.
The disturbance was reported around 11:45 a.m. Thursday at the 100 Farmland Avenue school, prompting a lockdown that was lifted by 1 p.m.
Merced police on Friday had few new details, saying it’s too early to tell if any charges will be filed against students or anyone involved, according to Lt. Emily Foster.
Foster said Friday none of the involved youth appear to have been armed with weapons and no one has been arrested following the scuffle at the city’s newest high school. Still, the investigation is ongoing.
Four students were involved in fisticuffs on campus just before noon on Thursday that led officials to lock down the campus before sending students home, Merced Union High School District officials confirmed.
No major injuries were reported as a result of the fight, but at least one student had a laceration to the face, officials have said.
There were at least two fights happening at the same time and the unruly situation became too much for staffers to handle, school officials have said. That led to the locked down and a response by police.
The fight happened in the quad where at least 100 students were, police said. That campus’s quad is completely enclosed.
Foster said it’s still not clear why the fight started.
There was a previous brawl on campus in September that also garnered a police response. Three students were arrested following that melee.
This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 1:35 PM.
