Hamilton police investigating ‘violent incident’ at Saltfleet high

Hamilton police say they are investigating a fight Wednesday at a Stoney Creek high school.

The violent incident" occurred just after noon on April 6 in the front entrance of Saltfleet District High School on Highland Road West, police say.

One of the groups approached three members of the other group and began physically assaulting, they started punching and kicking them," police spokesperson Const. Indy Bharaj told The Spectator. Police were called and everybody fled the area prior to police arrival."

Videos posted to social media show several people fighting inside the school. Several individuals can be seen approaching other youth sitting on some steps. One youth on the steps is hit in the stomach and kicked in the head from behind.

Bharaj said there were no injuries requiring medical attention.

There have been allegations of a knife being seen during the altercation, though police have no evidence to support these allegations," he said.

The fight involved two groups, mostly students from Saltfleet, he said. It is believed two individuals are not students at the school.

Bharaj said students from within the school ... were involved in a verbal altercation earlier in the day."

Police say the incident is not believed to be an act of bullying and most of the youth involved have been identified. The investigation remains ongoing.

Spokesperson Shawn McKillop said the board is not commenting on specifics as the incident is being investigated." The incident is being reviewed at Saltfleet," he said.

Violent behaviour has no place in our schools," he said, adding staff are working with police.

Police have investigated three Hamilton high schools in two days.

On Thursday, there were reports of a possible weapon" at Bernie Custis Secondary School in central Hamilton, police say.

There is no information at this time to confirm the allegation," Bharaj said Thursday afternoon. The investigation is ongoing.

Police were also called to St. John Henry Newman Catholic Secondary School on Thursday on reports of a weapon, which police say were unsubstantiated."

Shari-Ann Selvey, mother of slain Hamilton student Devan Selvey, said it feels like progress has been stalled.

Seeing that video, it just made me feel like I'm failing Devan," she said of the Saltfleet fight.

The 14-year-old student was fatally stabbed outside Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in the city's east end on Oct. 7, 2019. Since her son's death, Shari-Ann has been working to combat youth violence and is involved with the HWDSB's Safe Schools initiative.

It's only a matter of time before another child dies," she said.

Kate McCullough is an education reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com