DETROIT -- Four students were arrested, some were sprayed with pepper spray by police and many more are being detained for questioning after a fight erupted at Highland Park High School in Detroit on Thursday.

Police said the fight was between Southshore Academy students who are integrating into Highland Park School after their school was closed in September due to building problems.

Nearly 1,000 students were evacuated to the Highland Park parking lot due to a bomb threat around 9 a.m.

School officials separated the few hundred Southshore Academy students to one side of the fence and the 1,000 Highland Park students on the other side of the fence.

Students said the brawl broke because students were screaming through the fence.

“All of a sudden they came to the fence. They’ve got this beef, like Highland Park, Southshore, and they started rioting and throwing stuff. That’s when security and police were called,” said Highland Park student Jamal Butler. “People started throwing stuff, whatever pretty much they could get their hands on. I got hit in the eye with a rock.”

The Southshore students got bused to St. Benedicts gym a block away until tensions cooled down, said school officials.

School has resumed for Highland Park School, but Southshore students were sent home for the day on Thursday.

“I don’t know why they can’t just get along,” said parent Wanda Johnson.

Police said they have been called to the school a few times because of fighting between the students, but they have never seen a school riot of this scale.

“With today’s incident, an assembly, in fact two assemblies will be refocused on the issues and the friction that exists,” said Highland Park School official Greg Byndrian.

School will resume as scheduled Friday.

Stay with Local 4 News and ClickOnDetroit.com as more information becomes available.