Doctors of a 16-year-old stabbed in the neck tell his family the next 24 hours are critical.
A team of surgeons have been busy working on him all day. Meanwhile, police are still searching for his attacker.
Cassandra Rivera could barely contain her grief as she stood outside Jacobi Hospital late this afternoon. Inside, doctors struggled to save her son's life.
Negro Rivera was stabbed in the neck Wednesday morning outside Public School 12 in the Westchester Park section of the Bronx.
Police recovered a bloody pair of scissors at the scene that detectives suspect was the weapon used in the attack. Eyewitnesses say Rivera was confronted by some teens from another school when it quickly escalated into violence. The attack witnessed by horrified students as they came to school this morning.
"His whole like neck was bleeding. He was in shock like nothing happened," said one student.
Rivera's mother says her son was in the custody of juvenile services and was in the process of being placed in a foster home. She was surprised to hear he went to his school this morning.
Students were pulled out of the school this morning by police for questioning as detectives continue to search for suspects and a motive.
Security cameras outside the school are being checked to determine if they captured the attack on video. Rivera's mother wonders if an early confrontation had something to do with today's attack.
"Two days ago he had a fight...maybe they are retaliating," said Rivera.
Some students were so shaken by the news...they refused to enter the school fearing for their safety.
