TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Topeka Police are investigating allegations of a second fight involving Topeka teenagers, days after video of another fight went viral.
On Saturday morning, parents of a Topeka child released a video that they said shows their daughter being attacked by other teens. According to their post the attack involves the same girls being investigated for a fight video that surfaced on Thursday.
On Thursday, Topeka Police said a fight reportedly happened around 11:45 a.m. on the 1200 block of Southwest Washburn Avenue. Police became aware of the incident around noon.
After investigating Thursday’s fight, police arrested a 12-year-old girl and booked her into the Shawnee County Juvenile Department of Corrections for a felony aggravated battery charge.
The family of the girl attacked in Thursday’s video told KSNT News they are hoping for accountability. They have also said they received an outpouring of support from the community and are thankful for that.
Topeka Police told KSNT News that they were investigating a second fight video that surfaced on social media on Saturday.
The Department said in a statement:
“The Topeka Police Department has been made aware of an alleged additional incident that involves youth in our community. These investigations remain very active and Detectives are working to speak with victims, witnesses and suspects involved. We ask the public to report information to us by calling 785-368-9551 or by emailing us at telltpd@topeka.org. Anonymous tips can be made to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers by calling 785-234-0007.”
In January, 13-year-old Liylah McDowell said she went to the library with the intent to meet up with friends, only to find out they had other plans. She was attacked by a group of girls in an alley across the street.
“It’s just a hard thing that nobody should go through,” said Liylah. “Bullying needs to stop because it really does hurt some people’s lives.”
Her dad, Michael, said the video was hard to watch and that he and his wife were glad she wasn’t seriously injured.
“Seeing the pain and the way she was just wailing on her so bad, she could’ve been hurt really bad and that’s what scared me,”said Michael.
He said the incident took a toll on her mental health .
“I mean we can do our best to tell her that we love her, to show her we love her day in and day out, but does she really see that? does she really get that?,” said McDowell.
Most of all, the McDowell’s say they want those involved to be held accountable.
Samantha Rayton is the mom of the girl who recorded Liylah being attacked. She said when she found out what her daughter had done, she was livid.
“No matter how big or small her role was in the incident, I felt like she was very wrong,” said Rayton. “I tried to explain to her the way things can take off on social media.”
She said her daughter has also been bullied and it’s a problem that needs to be addressed by all parents.
“What can we do to correct it, to prevent it from happening again?” said Rayton. “What’s my role? What’s my responsibility to my child? Not just my child, to the other kids, too, because it does take all hands on deck. It does take a community to correct a problem this big.”
Liylah said she has no ill will towards those who attacked her, but she also wants them to understand the devastating effects bullying can have on people.