Fifth teen suspect in beating of Stoneman Douglas student turns self in

The last of five currently identified teenagers who are facing charges in connection with the violent beating of a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student turned himself into authorities Monday morning, police said.

Coral Springs Police Sgt. Ernesto Bruna said the 17-year-old Stoneman Douglas student turned himself in at the police department about 9 a.m. and was taken to the juvenile intake facility to be processed.

The teen is one of five who were identified last week. The police department shared a photo of a sixth suspect on Facebook Monday afternoon, asking for the public’s help in identifying him.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel is not naming the teenagers who are each facing one count of felony battery because they are minors. They attend Stoneman Douglas in Parkland and Coral Glades High School in Coral Springs and are between the ages of 15 and 17.

Just after school was dismissed on Dec. 12, an 18-year-old Stoneman Douglas student was ambushed in the parking lot at North Community Park, which the school uses for junior student parking. Video of the fight showed the student being lifted into the air and slammed onto the concrete ground, apparently losing consciousness. Video spread widely on social media and sparked outrage and accountability questions from parents and the community.

Witnesses told police the fight began with the victim being punched in the face, then one suspect “incited” several others to join in, according to probable cause affidavits for the teenagers’ arrests. All six were seen on video punching and kicking the victim.

Officers found the victim lying on his back in the parking lot, holding his head, when they arrived. He sustained multiple injuries, including one to his head from being slammed, and was taken by Coral Springs Fire Rescue to a hospital, according to the arrest affidavits.

Administrators at Stoneman Douglas and Coral Glades High identified to police several of the boys in the video. The students who were taken into custody last week were all arrested at their homes, Bruna previously told the Sun Sentinel.

In response to an email Monday seeking information about any disciplinary actions against the students, a Broward County Public Schools spokesperson shared a statement that Stoneman Douglas’s principal sent to parents on Friday and said the School District cannot provide additional information because of student privacy laws.

“We continue to work closely with the Coral Springs Police Department to ensure all those responsible receive appropriate consequences,” the principal’s statement said, in part. “We are also doing everything we can through District processes to ensure these students do not return to our campus.”

Anyone with information on the identity of the sixth suspect is asked to contact Det. James Kaban at jkaban@coralsprings.gov or at 954-346-1229.