Brutal Street Brawl Claims Lives of Two School Students

Two 16-year old schoolboys from Tbilisi Public School 51 were brutally killed during a street brawl in the city center on Friday.

One boy died at the scene while the second was taken to hospital. The next day he also died.

Avtandil Imedadze, Head of the Republican Hospital, said one of the 16-year-old teenagers injured in the conflict sustained brutal injuries in the chest and abdomen, thought to be stab wounds.

“Emergency services fought to save the patient. However, his condition was critical and we were unabe to save him,” the doctor added.

Witnesses claim the conflict started in the school toilet, after which the group of students moved to Khorava Street, where the conflict grew larger.

The police have launched an investigation into the case under Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Georgia that envisages premeditated murder.

Interior Ministry reports that one suspect, born in 2001, has already been arrested, while the second alleged culprit has been identified and is being tracked down.

"The fight against violence is our main task and we will do everything to protect society, especially juveniles,” the Ministry stated.

On Sunday, Georgian citizens gathered at public school 51 and lit candles in solidarity of the deceased students’ families. The participants of the rally demanded a timely and effective investigation into the case.

President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, stated that recent developments show that the youth are becoming more aggressive and violent. The President called upon citizens, especially young people, to think carefully about their behavior.

"I would like to express my condolences to the families of the deceased. We are all shocked and saddened by such a tragedy. We need to think about who we are and what kind of society we want to live in,” he added.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili also offered his condolences to the families, saying he was deeply concerned by the news.

Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Mikheil Chkhenkeli, posted on Facebook: “The Ministry, in collaboration with other state agencies and the public, will do everything to prevent such possible tragedies," he wrote.

Thea Morrison