PHOENIX — A South Phoenix family is asking why police did not show up after their teenager was hit over the head with a gun and robbed in broad daylight leaving school.
Tuesday around noon, Phoenix police confirmed that two unknown male suspects robbed a teenager at gunpoint outside International Commerce High School. One suspect reportedly hit the teen on the head with the gun as the other took his things before both fled in a black pickup truck.
“We don’t want to feel scared to send our kids to school,” the victim’s mother said. “He was absolutely shaken up. He was like ‘mom, I was just trying to go home.’
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The 15-year-old's mother said since his phone was stolen, her son drove home to get help from his father, who called 911 then drove back to the school.
She gave ABC15 call logs showing the family reached out to 911 four times over the course of an hour and a half.
"Nobody ever came so I drove myself to the precinct to get help,” she said.
Police confirmed this in a statement "As the victim was no longer at the scene and the suspects fled, the call was prioritized accordingly. No officers were available to immediately respond.”
Now, the family wants answers into what calls are deprioritized, given the violence against a student at a school.
"What needs to happen on a school campus with kids to get cops out there?” The mother asked. "We are a community that deserves to feel safe just like anywhere else around us.”
International Commerce Secondary Schools, Inc. responded to ABC15 questions saying that they are working with the Phoenix Police Department on the investigation.
The school said they started an emergency protocol and also called 911 once they were made aware of the incident but there are no security cameras currently on campus.
"The safety and security of our students and staff are a priority. Upon receiving notification of the reported incident, staff followed the protocols outlined in the school's Emergency Operations Procedures, including immediately contacting law enforcement and notifying appropriate school and charter leadership. We are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the reported incident and our existing safety practices to determine whether any additional measures are appropriate."
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