A 14-year-old girl was severely beaten outside a Broward County middle school.
The sheriff's office reports that a 15-year-old boy attacked the girl Wednesday afternoon while she waited for her bus outside Deerfield Beach Middle School.
The boy, who attends Deerfield Beach High School, was reportedly angry about comments someone else told him the girl had made.
Deerfield Beach was also the scene where Michael Brewer was attacked by classmates and set on fire late last year.
"My heart goes out to the parents of both of these children. This is another tap on the shoulder that says wake up. We need to start paying attention," Brewer's grandmother, Reenie, said after hearing about the attack. "How many more children are going to be hurt before we start tackling this problem head on?"
Broward Sheriff's Office spokesman Mike Jachles said the boy punched the girl, knocked her to the ground and then stomped on her repeatedly. A teacher had to pull the boy off her to stop the beating.
The girl was taken by helicopter in critical condition to a Fort Lauderdale hospital. Jachles says authorities are planning to charge the boy with attempted murder.
