A 16-year old student has gone into rampage and attacked students and school officials in a PittsburgH high school in Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
At about 7:00 in the morning, the suspect secretly moved in the hallways and slashed his schoolmates in their torso, arms and faces. The scene resulted to panic, with a student pulling the fire alarm that prompted evacuation.
A total of 21 students and a security official were injured in the incident.
The school's assistant principle, Steve King, said that the suspect used two 8-10 inches long knives during the rampage. Police reported that King and a security official tackled him and later handcuffed him. They turned him over to the police after he was apprehended.
Authorities confirmed the identity of the suspect as 16 year old Alex Hribal, a sophomore student from Franklin Regional High School. He is now under custody of a juvenile detention center in Westmoreland County after he was charged with four counts of attempted homicide, and 21 counts of aggravated assault.
His classmates describe him as quiet and reserved, but "pretty normal".
Dan Stevens, spokesman for Westmoreland County Emergency Management told Reuters that the injured students and security official are now being treated in hospitals near the area.
Stevens reported that the victims were mostly 14-17 years old and said that one to two victims had suffered from serious injuries.
Dr. Louis Alarcon, medical director of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center reported to WTAE that a student had a large injury to his abdominal wall due as a result of stabbing. "The knife went through his liver, diaphragm and major blood vessels. Fortunately for this young man, the knife missed his heart and his aorta," the doctor told the local station.
The suspect's motive has yet to be determined, with investigators looking into alleged reports of death threats that transpired between the suspect and a schoolmate before the stabbing incident.
Pennsylvania Governor lauded the students who did heroic acts during the stabbing incident. "There are a number of heroes in this day. Many of them are students, students who stayed with their friends and didn't leave their friends," he said in a press conference.
Police Chief of Murrysville Thomas Seefeld took particular credit on the student who pulled the alarm and shielded his classmates. "That was a good thing that that was done," the police officer remarked.
School officials announced that the high school department will be closed for couple of days to give way for authorities to conduct an intensive investigation. "We will continue to work in cooperation with local law enforcement in the coming days," Dr. Gennaro Piraino, superintendent of the Franklin regional school district expressed.
He likewise extended support to the victims of the stabbing incident. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and all of those affected by this awful tragedy,"
The superintendent assured that counseling services will be available to the all the students.
Hribal is set to appear in the preliminary hearing late April. He has not been granted bail.
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