News

Police investigating after student attacked by group outside of Kenmore Middle School

Police at Kenmore Middle School in May 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 2:05 p.m.) A group of Kenmore Middle School students allegedly attacked a student from another school after a basketball game yesterday.

Police were flagged down around 4:55 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of S. Carlin Springs Road and 2nd Street S. for a report of a fight. They found a student bleeding from the nose, according to scanner traffic, and were told by witnesses that he was assaulted by a group of Kenmore students.

“The officer located the juvenile male victim and determined he was walking in the area with a group of witnesses when they were approached by the five known juvenile male suspects,” the Arlington County Police Department said today in a crime report. “The suspects allegedly followed the group and threw items towards them before assaulting the male victim. The suspects fled the scene prior to the arrival of police and a canvass of the area yielded negative results. The victim was treated on scene by medics for injuries considered non-life threatening. The investigation is ongoing.”

The victim was a Dorothy Hamm Middle School basketball player, two tipsters told ARLnow and an Arlington Public Schools spokesman confirmed. The team played at Kenmore Tuesday afternoon, according to a game schedule. The suspects had just attended the game, we’re told.

Both tipsters separately told ARLnow that the victim later went to the hospital for treatment of a broken nose and other injuries.

Kenmore’s principal sent the following letter to families this afternoon.

Dear Kenmore Families,

I wanted to alert you to an incident that happened outside of Kenmore near the public bus stop after yesterday’s basketball game.

Several students were involved in a verbal and physical altercation with a student from another middle school. The incident started after a verbal altercation near the bus stop and continued up the street.

These actions do not reflect our core values and beliefs at Kenmore and under no circumstances do we condone this type of behavior. We take these incidents very seriously and disciplinary action will be taken. We have contacted the parents of those students directly involved. We ask for your continued partnership in talking with your children about the serious nature of these incidents.

Thank you to community members who stepped up to help the school address this incident. We are committed to being a No Place For Hate School and will continue to promote a positive environment for all.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

David McBride
Principal
Kenmore Middle School