10 students charged after fight breaks out following high school basketball game in Nashua, NH

Ten high school students in New Hampshire are facing charges for allegedly taking part in a fight that broke out after a basketball game in Nashua last month, officials said.

On Feb. 7, officers went to Nashua High School North for a report of a fight after a game between Nashua North and Manchester Memorial High School, police said in a statement.

An officer was working a detail at the game but was “overwhelmed by the number of students involved” as the fight quickly escalated, police said. The fight involved players and students from both schools, police said.

After the crowd was dispersed, police began an investigation to determine who was responsible for starting the fight, police said.

Among the 10 people arrested and charged with riot, many of the defendants are Nashua North students, police said.

Police identified three of the defendants as Anthony Michel, 19, of Nashua; Vincent Falcone, 18, of Nashua; and Eduardo Valdes, 18, of Nashua. They are scheduled to be arraigned in the southern district of Hillsborough Superior Court. The other students facing charges are juveniles and their names were not released.

In response to a request for comment, school officials at Nashua North on Thursday released a letter Superintendent Mario Andrade issued to the school community on Feb. 20, almost two weeks after the fight.

In the letter, Andrade said the school is “following proper protocol and disciplinary procedures,” and officials met with the students involved, as well as their families.

“I feel it is important, with the gravity of the situation, that we let it be known that safety in our schools is paramount,” Andrade wrote. “We have counseled the students and their families and alternative learning plans have been developed for them. The plans allow the students to continue with their education but outside of our classrooms.

Officials at Manchester Memorial could not immediately be reached for comment.

“The Nashua Police Department, along with the Nashua School District, have zero tolerance for violent or other dangerous behaviors on school grounds,” police said. “Students that engage in this type [of] behavior will be held accountable for their actions.”