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Teen faces assault charges after stabbing at Methuen High School
The victim has been hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
A 16-year-old Methuen High School student is facing assault charges after stabbing a 15-year-old former student at the school. Both were taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said the 16-year-old will be charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, one account of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault with intent to murder, and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds.
Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara said during a press conference that around 11:40 a.m., a Methuen school resource officer called police to request an ambulance saying a student was bleeding.
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The officer then updated police, saying that there had been a stabbing and that the suspect was in custody, McNamara said.
The police chief said that their preliminary investigation found that a 15-year-old boy, who was previously a student at the school, was let into the school through a locked side door by two students.
The 15-year-old confronted a 16-year-old student at the school who he knew, which escalated into a physical fight during which the 16-year-old stabbed the 15-year-old twice in the torso, McNamara said.
The police chief said the 16-year-old student went on to chase another student while carrying the knife, but was stopped by different student and a staff member who tackled the student with the knife.
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The boy who was stabbed is in stable condition, McNamara said. He said the victim is also likely to be charged for trespassing unauthorized on school grounds.
The student who was arrested is being held on $250,000 cash bail and is expected to be arraigned Tuesday in Lawrence District Court Juvenile Division.
“I want to stress now that we believe there is no reason to believe there’s any ongoing threat to students or staff at large,” McNamara said.
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The police chief said there will be increased police presence at the school Monday and for the rest of the week.
He also said that he, along with the superintendent and the high school principal, will review the school’s security and locking procedures, as well as building access policies, over the next week.
McNamara said police are still investigating the incident and reviewing security camera footage to identify which student let the former student into the school.
Police are also working with the school department to investigate how a student was able to have a knife at school.
Superintendent Brandi Kwong said during the press conference that students were told to shelter in place because of the incident.
“This was an isolated situation between two students involved in each other, so I do feel that it is safe for the kids to return,” she said.
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McNamara thanked the school nurses for their quick response in providing medical care on scene, as well as the staff member and student who stopped the suspect.
“It’s not something typically encouraged for bystanders to intervene in such a way, but I’ll say that they both acted in a very courageous manner, and I think the city at large, you should be proud of the actions they took today,” he said.
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