LOS ANGELES -- Police say it appears the initial cause of a fight involving between 100 and 150 students of teens at a South Los Angeles high school was friction between black and Latino gang members, KNBC's Doug Kriegel reported.

Video: Gang Friction May Have Started Brawl
Raw Video: Police Respond
Raw Video: Students Exit
Images

The Locke High School melee, which began in the cafeteria near the end of the lunch period around 1 p.m., resulted in the arrest of four people.

Three students were arrested on suspicion of fighting and a non-student was arrested for allegedly having a knife, said Susan Cox of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Four people suffered minor injuries but no one was taken to a hospital, she added.

"The cause of this fight is yet unknown, however, it did involve black and brown students," Cox said.

At first, school district police handled the brawl, which eventually spread to a quad area outside. With so many people involved, the Los Angeles Police Department was notified.

Officers armed in riot gear entered the school and surrounded the perimeter of the campus, located at 325 E. 111th St. (map), around 1:15 p.m., Cox said.

No one was allowed on the school grounds and students were kept separated in classrooms. To avoid more violence, students were released one classroom at a time and the school was empty shortly after 3 p.m., she said.

Some students said there had been talk of a fight for the last few days, Kriegel reported.

School officials said LAPD officers will be at the school on Monday through Friday next week. Gang counselors will also be talking to students.

In addition, the school principal will talk to parents and staff regarding the issue, Cox said.

About 600 students were around when the fight broke out, and between 100 and 150 students were involved, Cox said. Police said that the incident involved more than just gang members, and more arrests are expected.

More Resources:

• Map: 325 E. 111th St.
• lockehs.org