Fight between students with machetes and baseball bats in Magog

A banal story of vandalized scooters turned into a clash with machetes and baseball bats, late Monday afternoon, near a school in Magog, in the Eastern Townships.

Several citizens contacted 911 around 4 p.m. to report a crowd and an altercation that was taking place near La Ruche high school.

When the police intervened, they arrested three teenagers and other suspects could be nabbed in the next few hours, according to the authorities.

The origin of this conflict dates back to last Thursday, when rocks were thrown at several mopeds belonging to students of the school.

Following discussions and exchanges on social networks, two teenagers were quickly identified as being responsible for these acts of vandalism.

As of the weekend, a group of about forty young people met in order to go “collect” and “intimidate” the two presumed vandals so that they pay the damages estimated at $300.

In the face of the hubbub, a citizen even intervened to offer money to the angry students, which the young people refused.

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The students therefore gave the two alleged vandals an “appointment” when they left class on Monday afternoon to settle their case.

As expected, dozens of students showed up at the scheduled time and place to attack the two teenagers.

Knowing they were in danger, the latter arrived on the scene armed with a baseball bat, a tomahawk and even a machete.

Refusing to give in to pressure from those who had come to “collect” them, the two teenagers in question decided to leave the premises, pursued and filmed by the group of students, under a rain of insults.

At one point, one of the teenagers being prosecuted drew his machete to attack one of his rivals who was filming him while insulting him. According to our information, the latter was not injured, but came very close to being decapitated by the machete blow which missed the target.

“Assaults were committed with the help of weapons brought to the scene, on both sides in the two groups. Fortunately, the machete attack did not cause any injuries,” said Lieutenant Carl Pépin, spokesman for the Memphremagog Police Board.

Three students were arrested and four others who actively participated in the events were also identified.

Several videos of the altercation were seized by the police, who will analyze them over the next few hours.

The arrested suspects were released to their parents after signing a promise to appear.

They could face criminal charges in the near future.