By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

This is an update on a story posted at 11 a.m.

LAPLACE — Authorities in St. John the Baptist Parish arrested 13 people, who were involved in an early morning fight at East St. John High School in Reserve Wednesday.

Capt. Dane Clement, public information officer for the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office, said deputies were called out to the school about 6:45 a.m. just after the fight broke out. He said when deputies arrived, the fight had subdued and those involved were detained in a school administrator’s office.

Heidi Trosclair, communications coordinator for the St. John Parish School system said in a release that the high school was on lock down until about 8:30 a.m.

“The students’ safety is our number one priority,” said East St. John High School Principal Patricia Triche. “As soon as the altercation occurred, all students were sent to class and the school was on lockdown. Within an hour, the lockdown was lifted and the school day continued as normal.”

Clement said ambulances were called to the scene as a precaution. He said two people at the school, one with a cut lip and the other suffering from dizziness, were hospitalized, but they were transported by parents.

Trosclair said the St. John the Baptist Parish School District has a “zero tolerance” policy regarding fighting on school grounds as part of the student code of conduct handbook. She said any student involved in a physical altercation is immediately arrested.

Clement said those arrested include a 19-year-old male, three 18-year-old males, a 17-year-old male, six male juveniles and two female juvenile. He said the students were booked with disturbing the peace by fighting. No names have been released.

Clement said a school resource officer and school administrators are still investigating the incident. It is unclear whether more arrests will be made. Authorities believe the fight may have stemmed from a prior altercation Tuesday evening on East 13th Street in Reserve. Clement said Sheriff’s deputies were called out to the street, but when they arrived, no one was there.

St. John Parish School Superintendent Dr. Courtney Millet said in the release that the school system needs more community involvement to ensure the safety of the students.

“If there is an altercation in our neighborhoods that involve our students, we ask parents to please notify the school or school board office so that extra precautionary measures can be taken to keep the altercation out of the schools,” said Millet. “We are diligent every day to ensure our students’ safety, however, we need the community to help us.”