Investigation into Multiple School Stabbing Incidents Underway
On Wednesday, a 15-year-old student at Westwood Middle School in Winter Haven, Florida was arrested after allegedly stabbing a 14-year-old classmate during a fight on campus. The incident occurred at around 1:09 p.m. and the school was put on lockdown status while deputies from the Polk County Sheriff's Office searched for the suspect.[0] He was arrested at a nearby relative's home at 1:43 p.m. and the knife used in the attack was recovered by the deputies.[1]
The accused minor will be taken into juvenile detention and charged with assault using a deadly weapon.[2] The juvenile informed the deputies that he had tossed the knife behind a trailer, and showed them the spot where it was located, which they then discovered.[3]
The incident at Westwood Middle School follows a similar occurrence at another San Francisco school, Denman Middle School on Wednesday, in which two students were detained after a gun was found during an altercation.[4] There were no shots fired and the gun was not used in a threatening manner.[4] The investigation into the incident resulted in the seizure of the gun.[4]
The same day, a seventh-grader at Sunrise Middle School in San Jose allegedly stabbed a 15-year-old fellow student, causing non-life-threatening injuries.[5] A small object with a sharp edge caused the injury to the student, and the object was confiscated by school administrators and law enforcement officials.[6]
The San Francisco Unified School District stated that there are no imminent threats to the school or its vicinity.[7]
The 15-year-old accused in the stabbing will be facing multiple felony charges, and Sheriff Grady Judd said this is “outrageous violent criminal behavior that we are not going to tolerate.”
The Henry County school district is also dealing with a similar incident, as a 15-year-old student was arrested Wednesday after a fight on campus became a stabbing. The victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.[8]
Schools and law enforcement are continuing to investigate these incidents and take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of their students.[9]
0. “Polk deputies: 15-year-old arrested after stabbing classmate at Westwood Middle” FOX 13 Tampa, 8 Mar. 2023, https://www.fox13news.com/news/winter-haven-middle-school-student-arrested-after-stabbing-classmate-deputies-say
1. “Polk County Sheriff’s office investigating stabbing at middle school” WWSB, 8 Mar. 2023, https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/03/08/polk-county-sheriffs-office-investigating-stabbing-middle-school
2. “Police Investigate Stabbing at Sunrise Middle School in San Jose” NBC Bay Area, 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-jose-school-stabbing/3181772/
3. “15-year-old charged in stabbing incident at Winter Haven middle school” Yahoo! Voices, 8 Mar. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/news/15-old-charged-stabbing-incident-214608248.html
4. “Student stabbed at Francisco Middle School in S.F.” San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/student-stabbed-francisco-middle-school-s-f-17846243.php
5. “Stabbing at SF Middle School Comes Amid Uptick In Violence at Local Schools” SFist, 17 Mar. 2023, https://sfist.com/2023/03/17/stabbing-at-sf-middle-school-comes-amid-uptick-in-violence-at-local-schools/
6. “Middle school student sliced in the face after fight between two girls in school cafeteria” WSB Atlanta, 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/henry-county/middle-school-student-stabbed-face-after-fight-between-two-girls-school-cafeteria/3LVVBVQ6EVDP7KXPLAF2TDUZS4/
7. “Student injured in stabbing at middle school in San Francisco's North Beach” CBS San Francisco, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/student-injured-in-stabbing-at-middle-school-in-san-franciscos-north-beach/
8. “14-year-old student stabbed at Polk County middle school” WESH 2 Orlando, 8 Mar. 2023, https://www.wesh.com/article/student-stabbed-polk-county/43252028
9. “Student injured in stabbing at middle school in San Francisco's North Beach” msnNOW, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/student-injured-in-stabbing-at-middle-school-in-san-francisco-s-north-beach/ar-AA18LSam
