Video shared on social media of a boy being violently attacked caused concern and prompted an investigation at a middle school in Adelphi, Maryland.
The disturbing video circulated among students at Sonia Sotomayor Middle School shows a boy being led by people wearing ski masks. He’s ordered to get on his knees, and a countdown begins. A gun is pointed at his head as the boy begs for mercy. Members of the group kick and beat the boy, and then the video cuts off.
Prince George’s County police provided a statement to News4 and said in part that the department “is aware of the video and is working to identify those involved in an effort to ensure the safety of the victim in the video – as well as working to determine when and where this was recorded.”
It’s unclear what happened next or what injuries the boy received. News4 blurred the video to protect the victim’s privacy.
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News4 is working to confirm reports that the case is linked to a reported threat at Sotomayor Middle School Thursday. The school sent a letter to families saying the threat was investigated and was not credible.
But the video has students and parents at Sotomayor Middle School concerned.
“I feel scared, emotional,” one child said.
A parent of a student at Sotomayor Middle School sent News4 a recording she received on Thursday.
“This is an important message from Sonia Sotomayor MS in Adelphi for families and students. Today, March 14, 2024, we were informed about a threat of violence made on social media. Immediate action was taken by school administrators and local law enforcement to investigate,” the message said.
Parents said photos show a chaotic pickup at the school on Thursday afternoon. They said the recorded message left a lot of questions about what happened.
“I feel that it could have been handled better. Our children need to be safe, and at this moment we don’t think and we don’t believe the school is a safe place to be now,” one mother said.
A student said she asked her parent to pick her up on Friday because she was worried about her safety.
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“They were basically saying that they were coming to kill somebody,” she said.
Students told News4 that many of their classmates didn’t go to school on Friday. A police presence could be seen on campus throughout the day.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
