MS-13 gang threatens Long Island police officers
Authorities say there were credible threats linked to MS-13 members; Bryan Llenas reports.
The violent gang MS-13 has infiltrated a predominantly Hispanic school in Maryland, bringing terror and the campaign to recruit young students, with teachers calling the situation a “ticking time bomb.”
William Wirt Middle School in Riverdale has reportedly become a battleground after the gang established its presence at the school.
Fighting, drug dealing, pro-MS-13 graffiti and attempts to recruit immigrant children from Central America have become an everyday occurrence, The Washington Post reported.
“We now have two to three fights per day. At this point, it’s completely out of control.”
“We now have two to three fights per day,” one school employee told the paper, who didn’t reveal his name over fears to lose the job or be targeted by the gang. “At this point, it’s completely out of control.”
School teachers claimed at least a dozen of members of the gang are in the school. The violent activities prompted the school to call the police over 70 times in the 2017-2018 school year.
In one alleged incident, an eighth-grader claimed to have been raped by a schoolmate who was in the gang. The alleged assault took place off of school grounds and she initially reported the crime to the police, but later backtracked out of fear of retaliation by the gang.
The authorities concluded the alleged crime was unfounded, but told The Post that the girl lives now in fear the gang will physically attack her.
MS-13 is the notorious El Salvadorian street gang started in Los Angeles in the 1980s. It has since expanded and includes Hondurans, Guatemalans, Mexicans and other Central and South Americans.
The gang’s motto is “rape, control, kill” and gained notoriety after numerous brutal crimes across the U.S.
“Teachers feel threatened but aren’t backed up. Students feel threatened but aren’t protected. The school is a ticking time bomb.”
Officials at the school deny the problem of gang activity.
“The principal is aware of concerns about gangs in the community, but has not experienced any problems in school,” John White, a school spokesman told The Post.
But there are reportedly signs of the gang’s presence.
According to the police, ten MS-13 members clashed with a gang rival in February in the woods between William Wirt Middle School and Parkdale High School, another school in the area suffering from gang activity. The rival was hit in the head with a baseball bat and stabbed three times in the stomach.
Two months earlier, the two schools were on lockdown following a shooting between the gang rivals.
The situation has left teachers fearful of being alone with students. They reportedly informed the school officials of incidents involving suspected members of the gang, but they were ignored by the administrators, the report added.
“Teachers feel threatened but aren’t backed up. Students feel threatened but aren’t protected,” one educator said. “The school is a ticking time bomb.”
Fox News’ Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.
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