ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Alexandria City High School has issued a warning to discourage students from gathering at local shopping centers following reports of student brawls at the Bradlee Shopping Center.
Ahead of the new school year, Principal Alexander Duncan issued a letter regarding Alexandria City Public School's truancy policies that includes a reminder about socializing at local shopping centers during school hours, which is "strongly discouraged."
"We are partnering with the Alexandria Police Department and some local shopping centers to increase presence, visibility and to deter truancy," Duncan wrote.
The new principal said the concern is not only about safety and security, but students missing vital instructional time.
The letter warns students that they will face disciplinary consequences by Alexandria Public Schools administration for intentionally missing class to patronize local shopping centers.
Although the letter does not specify any specific shopping centers, reports of teenage brawls at the Bradlee Shopping Center on King Street have prompted increased security measures by Alexandria City Police.
In May of last year, Alexandria City High School student Luis Mejia Hernandez, 18, was stabbed to death during a large group fight outside the McDonald's in the Bradlee Center. An Alexandria City High School student was found guilty of second-degree murder and murder by mob for his death. The teenager was 16-years-old at the time of the arrest.
A sign posted outside the fast-food restaurant's door says, "We will not tolerate violence or verbal abuse towards our staff and reserve the right not to serve customers behaving in this manner." Employees say the sign went up after Mejia Hernandez's killing.
People that work in the businesses at the Bradlee Center told WUSA9 that they are doubtful that a warning will change much in the area. Employees say students start gathering at the shopping center around 1 p.m. and that often the fights happen after school hours.
Alexandria City High School is a closed campus, which means that students are not allowed to leave campus during the school day unless they have permission.