Watsonville police say a stabbing at Watsonville High School prompted a shelter-in-place order Thursday morning.The stabbing was reported on campus around 10 a.m., and a Pajaro Valley Joint Unified School District spokesperson said a student was stabbed.According to the spokesperson, a confrontation between two students led to the stabbing. A staff member who tried to break up the fight was also stabbed while attempting to disarm the student.Both the 14-year-old victim and the staff member are expected to be OK, police said.School staff detained the 16-year-old student suspect until officers arrived and took him into custody.The suspect has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.A second incident is under investigation, involving a student who fled the scene of the initial stabbing to gather two other students and attack a separate student, per police.A 14-year-old student and two 15-year-old students were charged with felony battery, assault with a deadly weapon, and conspiracy. Police said the assault-with-a-deadly-weapon charge reflects the severity of the attack.”We have surveillance footage from the school that we’re using for our investigation, but if anyone has additional videos from their own cell phones, pictures from their own cell phones, we’re asking for them to turn that over to us because that could be additional information that we need for the investigation,” a police spokesperson said.The shelter-in-place was lifted, and students were released for the day at about 12:25 p.m.School staff will conduct an after-action review to ensure they took the necessary steps to protect students, faculty, and staff during the incidents. The superintendent confirmed that school will resume on Friday, with counseling services provided for students and staff.
WATSONVILLE, Calif. —
Watsonville police say a stabbing at Watsonville High School prompted a shelter-in-place order Thursday morning.
The stabbing was reported on campus around 10 a.m., and a Pajaro Valley Joint Unified School District spokesperson said a student was stabbed.
According to the spokesperson, a confrontation between two students led to the stabbing. A staff member who tried to break up the fight was also stabbed while attempting to disarm the student.
Both the 14-year-old victim and the staff member are expected to be OK, police said.
School staff detained the 16-year-old student suspect until officers arrived and took him into custody.
The suspect has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
A second incident is under investigation, involving a student who fled the scene of the initial stabbing to gather two other students and attack a separate student, per police.
A 14-year-old student and two 15-year-old students were charged with felony battery, assault with a deadly weapon, and conspiracy. Police said the assault-with-a-deadly-weapon charge reflects the severity of the attack.
“We have surveillance footage from the school that we’re using for our investigation, but if anyone has additional videos from their own cell phones, pictures from their own cell phones, we’re asking for them to turn that over to us because that could be additional information that we need for the investigation,” a police spokesperson said.
The shelter-in-place was lifted, and students were released for the day at about 12:25 p.m.
School staff will conduct an after-action review to ensure they took the necessary steps to protect students, faculty, and staff during the incidents.
The superintendent confirmed that school will resume on Friday, with counseling services provided for students and staff.