A 15-year-old student was fatally knifed by a 14-year-old classmate on Monday during a wild, caught-on-camera brawl inside a North Carolina high school.
The melee inside the gym at Southeast Raleigh High School also landed a second student, 16, in the hospital with a non-life-threatening stab wound, according to local reports.
âBoth victims were transported to an area hospital,â Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said during a press conference. âSadly, one victim succumbed to his injuries.â
âThis is a very unfortunate incident that has occurred today,â she added. âOne that is very disturbing to us.â
The teen accused of stabbing two of his peers was arrested and charged with murder on a juvenile petition, WRAL reported, citing authorities.
Part of the fight caught on camera shows two students face to face before a youngster in a black jacket throws a punch at a student in a red jacket, who responds with his own punch.
The fight spills into the gym as other students quickly follow the brawl.
During the escalating melee, one of the students appears to jab at two teens with a sharp object before fleeing, according to the footage obtained by WRAL and CBS 17.
The identities of the victims and suspect were not released.
Sherelle McLaughlin told WRAL that her son, who is the alleged stabber, was only defending himself.
She also said she doesnât believe he took the knife to school, but got it from someone else in the building.
âThe whole situation is terrible,â McLaughlin said. âI feel bad for the other family but in return, I feel bad for my son because he was fighting for his life. It wasnât a fair fight. I just donât think it should have happened like that.â
The school will be closed Tuesday as students come to grips with the death of a classmate and the district reviews safety protocols.
âSchools should be a safe haven for our students and staff,â Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor said. âWhat happened here today is unacceptable.â
With Post wires
