Posted on 11/22/2023 7:40:09 AM PST by Uncle Miltie
Students from Hilltop Heritage Middle School in Tacoma are speaking out after their school went into modified lockdown twice on Friday. The lockdowns were caused by a group called the “Kia Boyz,” who the Tacoma Police Department (TPD) said are stealing cars and threatening people with guns.
Police said Friday morning the group of kids and young adults were driving recklessly in a stolen car, almost hitting people on sidewalks. The group made their way to Hilltop Heritage Middle School.
“Everybody was like crowding to the windows, which I don't think is the best thing to do, because if they do shoot you, you're dead. They're going to break the glass,” said Akeelah Simmons, a seventh grade student at Hilltop.
Akeelah’s younger sister and cousin, who are in the fifth grade, were at Hilltop that morning for a band class at the school.
“I found one of Akeelah's friends and I said, ‘What's going on?’ She said, ‘The Kia Boyz are here.’ And I said, ‘Okay, well, what am I supposed to do?’ She said, ‘You can come up with me,’” said Angelle Devone, a fifth grade student who went to hide in a classroom.
Tacoma police said when the group was asked to leave the school property by a Tacoma Public Schools patrol officer, they pointed a gun at the patrol officer multiple times and threatened to shoot them.
Kids at the school, like Akeelah and fellow seventh grader Georgiana Campbell, said it not only disrupts learning, but that they fear for their lives.
“We are scared to go to school because we don't want to get shot, like we don't want it to escalate any further,” said Georgiana.
Akeelah said she has experienced around a total of nine modified and normal lockdowns at her school this year due to the Kia Boyz.
“If the Kia Boyz didn't come today, they're probably going to come tomorrow because it's like, we think it's normal now,” said Akeelah.
These students said they feel more needs to be done to protect them.
“I just want more security, more police officers here,” said Akeelah.
Tacoma police said they are investigating a few of the people associated with the Kia Boyz and had this message for kids and parents who are concerned:
“We are going to do everything that we can working with the local public schools, working with other elements of the criminal justice system to do what we can to hold individuals accountable for crimes that they commit,” said Detective and Public Information Officer William Muse.
The people involved in these incidents at the school are not yet in custody.
Tacoma Public Schools works in partnership with Tacoma Police Department, said Kathryn McCarthy of Tacoma Public Schools.
"We are working with our schools and partners to do all we can to mitigate disruption to instructional time," she said.
When a situation warrants school staff to call police, officers respond and investigate crimes, McCarthy said, adding that the incidents of erratic driving are not isolated to Hilltop Heritage and are happening throughout the county.
For now, these girls are calling on city leaders to do something to make them feel more safe at school.
“We feel like people in higher positions aren't doing enough about it and are putting our lives at risk,” said Georgiana.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers, where they can stay anonymous, or call the South Sound 911 non-emergency line at 253-287-4455.
“…they pointed a gun at the patrol officer multiple times and threatened to shoot them.”
Them?
WAIT! WHAT?
“Tacoma police said when the group was asked to leave the school property by a Tacoma Public Schools patrol officer, they pointed a gun at the patrol officer multiple times and threatened to shoot them. “
And this was NOT enough for the Police to actually DO something?
Wow, what a bunch of wussies we’ve all become... Sad.
That’s my old junior high school, used to be called Jason Lee then. It always had problems, even back in 69-71…but that was a very different world then.
Glad you’re okay. Be careful. Any normal country would pull these thugs from the streets.
Looks like Kia boys own that neighborhood...
> The people involved in these incidents at the school are not yet in custody. <
Either the police are incredibly incompetent, or they really don’t want to find these hoodlums.
I can’t decide which would be worse.
That drives me nuts, too. It’s a deficiency in the English language. When I grew up, when the sex of the object was unknown, “he” or “him” was acceptable and used in a neuter sense. Of course, that was the era when God was “him” and “father.”
Then the feminists came along and their panties got all twisted up.
These days, when talking about a hypothetical person or a person of unknown sex, “they” is quite established usage, although “he or she” is more formal. The awkward “he or she” construction was the solution the feminists proffered after they banned the neuter “he.”
As much as I dislike “he or she,” it’s probably the best available. Unless, of course, you prefer the new Xe, Xir, Xem, and Xeir gender-neutral third person pronouns.
That’s my old junior high school, used to be called Jason Lee then.
It sounds like they are allowed to terrorize the neighborhood, which I don’t understand.
Another article mentioned:
“The name “Kia Boyz” comes from a social media challenge showing how to steal Kia and Hyundai car models.”
Another article was titled:
“Seattle repair shops can’t keep up with number of vandalized or stolen Hyundais, Kias”
Yes, that must be the officer's preferred pronoun.
Every English teacher I had during my school days must be turning over in their graves.
I am surprised they weren’t at the High School, trying to pick up some Kia Girlz.
I can guarantee you that while these hoodlums are total douchebags they smart enough to know what Girlz are
“Tacoma police said when the group was asked to leave the school property by a Tacoma Public Schools patrol officer, they pointed a gun at the patrol officer multiple times and threatened to shoot them. ”
Why didn’t the pussy shoot him down? Turn in your badge.
School officers aren’t armed.
The Kia Boyz are waanabees... The real danger is from the Prius Boyz. They don’t mess around!
Unarmed cops? Totally insane… how would they stop a mass shooter?
Hilltop was always the ghetto when I was growing up on the west side of Tacoma.
Still is evidently.
Always had to go to school with that element being bussed into our schools to mess them up and mug away my lunch money.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.