Racist Posts Spark Police Response at Minnesota High School

OWATONNA, Minn. (AP) -- Officials placed a southern Minnesota school on lockdown and called police when tensions over racist comments posted on social media boiled over.

Owatonna Senior High School officials say a large group of students started shouting at each other in a commons area Monday over the comments targeting black students that were posted on Snapchat Sunday.

Black students make up 8.5 percent of the school's enrollment. The school is 73 percent white.

Owatonna police say two students received citations for misdemeanor assault of an officer, but there was no fighting among students and no one was injured.

School officials have identified five students they believe are responsible for the posts but have yet to determine how they will be disciplined.

Owatonna is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Minneapolis.