Harmony High School brawl: 9 students arrested after attack on fellow student, deputies say

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - Nine male students were arrested after allegedly attacking a 17-year-old student outside Harmony High School in Osceola County on Oct. 16, authorities said.

Deputies described the incident as a nine-on-one beating that followed a lunchtime confrontation involving alleged bullying in the school cafeteria.

Confrontation began in school cafeteria

The backstory:

Investigators said the victim intervened after seeing students throwing carrots at a girl during lunch. He told the students to stop, prompting an exchange of words with two male students, authorities said.

The victim then tried to de-escalate the situation by leaving the cafeteria with the girl.

Shortly after 2:30 p.m., as he walked toward his car near a tunnel outside the school, one suspect struck him, deputies said. Eight other students then joined the attack, repeatedly punching him in the face and head.

The victim's girlfriend eventually intervened after seeing him bleeding, according to the initial account. His mother took him to a hospital, where he received 11 stitches for facial injuries. His sister later said he was doing OK.

Students arrested and charged

Investigators used cellphone video of the attack to identify the suspects. Deputies arrested all nine students at the school on Wednesday with help from school staff.

Two 18-year-old suspects, Quianelle Antonio Reyes-Cintron and Brian Alexander Ramirez, were booked into the Osceola County Jail. 

The seven remaining suspects were taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center. They include one 17-year-old, five 16-year-olds and one 14-year-old.

All nine were charged with felony aggravated battery and felony inciting a riot, authorities said. 

‘This was a serious attack’

What they're saying:

The sheriff's office said it wants the suspects prosecuted as adults.

"This was a serious attack. This was not one-on-one. Two-on-one. This was nine students against one, and we’re just lucky he didn’t receive more serious injuries than what he got," said Kim Montes of the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.

Montes praised the victim for standing up for another student and condemned the alleged attackers.

"We tell kids all the time, ‘Stand up for somebody else!’ It takes a lot of courage to do that. He did this and these nine students that beat him up are the ones that are cowards," she said.

One person who spoke about the incident also expressed relief that someone intervened, saying, "Thank God for the person that came in and stopped it."

School district and sheriff condemn violence

Osceola County School District Superintendent Mark Shanoff condemned the attack and said violence would not be tolerated on or off campus.

"Let me be clear: physical intimidation, threats, or acts of violence of any kind will not be tolerated in our schools or in our community, whether on or off campus," Shanoff said in a statement.

Shanoff said the behavior was inconsistent with district values and student conduct standards. He also thanked the sheriff's office and other law enforcement partners for helping maintain safe communities.

Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon also warned students throughout the county that violence would have consequences.

"If you put your hands on another student on or off campus, deputies will arrest you," Blackmon said.

Blackmon praised the victim for intervening when he saw another student being bullied, calling his actions brave.