15-year-old suspect in Edward R. Murrow High School stabbing taken into custody
MIDWOOD, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A teen is in custody after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed in the stomach inside a school in Brooklyn and taken to the hospital where he is expected to survive.
It happened just before 9:30 a.m. in Edward R. Murrow High School in Midwood, which initially prompted a lockdown.
A letter sent to parents indicated that two students were "involved in an altercation" that led to the stabbing. It is being investigated as a gang-related stabbing as both teens involved have known gang associations.
The president of the union representing school safety agents says that letter downplayed what happened.
"A minor fight is an incident, not a stabbing," said Gregory Floyd, the president of Teamsters Local 237. "The school has a gang problem, and students were bringing in knives and guns every day."
The victim was rushed to Maimonides Hospital in stable condition and with non-life-threatening injuries.
The 15-year-old suspect fled the building. He surrendered Monday evening and was taken into custody, according to police.
He was arraigned in the youth part of criminal court in Downtown Brooklyn Wednesday afternoon, and was charged with attempted murder, criminal possession of weapon and assault.
Following the incident, the school lockdown was lifted but it took hours for authorities to check each and every student for weapons.
A NYC DOE spokesperson released a statement saying, "The safety and wellbeing of our students is our absolute top priority. Following an incident in the school, NYPD School Safety immediately responded, and NYPD and EMS are on site. The building was placed on a brief lockdown which has now been lifted."
A crowd of angry and anxious parents who got panicked texts from their kids waited hours and demanded an explanation.
"I can't even go inside to get them, I have to wait until everything is over," said Jacinth Pemberton, one student's parent.
When students were finally released to their worried parents, they said the long wait was nerve racking. One student heard from a classmate who witnessed chaos on the third floor.
"She told me that she saw someone holding their stomach and there was a security guard there saying someone get the nurse," student Lia Seltzer said.
Floyd says that there should always be metal detectors, and that at least one parent demanded them earlier this year.
The school did not have metal detectors, but they will be in place on Wednesday. Parents have mixed feelings about them.
"Occasionally they bring them in," parent Tara Muzio said. "The kids, they're late to class, it just takes more time."
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