A 15-year-old student was fatally stabbed by a 14-year-old classmate during a fight inside a North Carolina high school on Monday, Nov. 27.
The fight inside the gym at Southeast Raleigh High School was caught on camera.
It also landed a second student, 16, in the hospital with a non-life threatening stab wound, according to local reports.
“Both victims were transported to an area hospital,” Raleigh police chief Estella Patterson said during a press conference. “Sadly one victim succumbed to his injuries.”
“This is a very unfortunate incident that has occurred today,” she added. “One that is very disturbing to us.”
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 showed two students fighting face-to-face before another student in a black jacket threw a punch at a student in a red jacket who then responded with his own punch.
The fight then spills into the gym as other students quickly follow the brawl.
Amid the chaos, one of the students appeared to jab at two teens with a sharp object before fleeing, according to the footage obtained by WRAL.
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 doesn’t believe he took the knife to school, but got it from someone else in the building.
“The whole situation is terrible,” McLaughlin said. “I feel bad for the other family but in return, I feel bad for my son because he was fighting for his life. It wasn’t a fair fight. I just don’t think it should have happened like that.”
The school will be closed Tuesday, Nov. 28, as students come to grips with the death of a classmate and the district reviews safety protocols.
“Schools should be a safe haven for our students and staff,” Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor said. “What happened here today is unacceptable.”
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