YOUNGSTOWN — Police responded to a report Thursday afternoon of several fights between juveniles who had gathered in front of the Western Reserve Transit Authority bus terminal, downtown.

Officers responded at 4:05 p.m. to the West Federal Street location and saw a crowd of 40 to 50 Youngstown City School District students gather before several boys were slammed to the concrete as they punched and kicked one another, according to a Youngstown police report.

One officer used pepper spray on some of the primary aggressors and bystanders before backup arrived and the crowd began to disperse, the report states. Police were unable to make any arrests or detain anyone because of the size of the crowd.

Such disorderly and disruptive incidents have apparently been a chronic and ongoing problem for a few years, specifically, during the 2024-25 and the 2025-26 school years, the report states. Multiple downtown business owners have called 911 to report such behaviors, and authorities have responded to fights between high school students on a nearly daily basis during those two school years, according to the report.

WRTA security officials told police they have surveillance cameras that captured the incident, but a security supervisor must be present to review the tapes, the report states.

Stacy Quinones, the Youngstown City School District spokeswoman, said Friday that the district is aware of the incident, but school officials are unable to verify the enrollment status of the 40 to 50 students, since the incident on Thursday took place off school property.

“Because the incidents occurred at the WRTA during non-school hours and at a non-school event outside our buildings, they fall outside the geographical and operational boundaries of our educational authority. The oversight of public and business spaces remains with local law enforcement and city agencies, rather than with the district or other schools whose students also use public transit,” Quinones stated in an email.

“Though we want to be clear that, at this time, it is an assumption that all involved are students from our buildings; transit hubs often include a diverse mix of adults and youth from the region,” Quinones added.

Nevertheless, the district intends to work with law enforcement and WRTA officials to identify the students who played a role in the incident, she said.

In addition, the district “emphasizes the importance of reinforcing civic responsibility, even as we recognize that our ability to intervene may be limited once students have transitioned off school property or to a nondistrict event. We remain dedicated to maintaining open communication with families and scholars, and to building strong partnerships with local stakeholders,” her email stated.