Witnesses say it was near chaos with several fights, maybe up to 20 violent confrontations, breaking out throughout the day.
Police were called and dozens of units responded from Mt. Vernon and from virtually every surrounding municipality. The building as well as the other two high school and two middle schools in the district were put on lock down. The mayor says one initial fistfight sparked a chain reaction.
Police took seven students into custody. Eventually, a staggered dismissal was put into effect throughout the district and officers were deployed along routes taken by students to prevent any other skirmishes. Some parents came to pick up their children.
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