A person of interest has been detained following a stabbing of a 15-year-old student inside Edward R. Murrow High School in Midwood on Tuesday, December 5th.
The victim, who was stabbed in the abdomen, was swiftly transported to Maimonides Hospital in stable condition, with authorities confirming the injuries as non-life-threatening.
The altercation occurred just before 9:30 a.m.
Police reported that the suspect fled the scene immediately after the incident but later surrendered.
Law enforcement officials disclosed the age of the person detained as a 15-year-old male student.
In response to the stabbing, the school underwent a near-daylong lockdown, causing great distress among parents.
Principal Allen Barge informed them through a letter that the NYPD was conducting a “reverse scan” of the building.
During this time, students, confined to their classrooms, were searched for weapons. Barge assured that normal educational activities would resume after the inspection.
The Department of Education (DOE) stated, “The safety and well-being 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.”
Gregory Floyd, president of Teamsters Local 237, criticized the school’s response, highlighting the need for more stringent safety measures, saying, “A minor fight is an incident, not a stabbing. The school has a gang problem, and students were bringing in knives and guns every day.”
Anxious parents gathered outside the school, awaiting news and the safe return of their children.
Jacinth Pemberton, a parent, expressed her frustration to ABC7NY, “I can’t even go inside to get them, I have to wait until everything is over.”
Law enforcement was present at the Midwood school, which houses over 3,500 students and lacks metal detectors, following the incident.
The school also faced a shortfall in School Safety Agents, operating with only seven School Safety Agents against the required eleven, a source told the New York Post.
The city currently employs 3,800 School Safety Agents across public schools, with an anticipated 5-7% set to retire by year’s end.
This figure marks a decline from the historical 5,250 School Safety Agents, a decrease initiated during former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s tenure.
The recent cancellation of 250 new School Safety Agent positions by City Hall has intensified concerns over staffing shortages.
Mayor Adams remarked last month that this shortfall might necessitate increased involvement from parents to help bridge the gap.15-Year-Old Student Stabbed in NYC High School; Suspect in Custody
