LYNN, Mass – A student was stabbed at Lynn Classical High School in Lynn Wednesday morning, prompting a large emergency response and lockdown, officials said.
According to police, crews responded to the high school at 235 Ocallaghan Way and found a 16-year-old male student stabbed in the back by another 17-year-old student.
The student was taken to Salem Hospital with injuries that were described as non-life threatening, a spokesman for Lynn Mayor Jared C. Nicholson said in a statement.
Police arrested the 17-year-old, initially charging him with assault to murder and carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds.
The school was locked down while police swept the building. Video from the scene showed several police cruisers parked on campus.
School administrators informed parents of what happened.
“They said, come get my kids, that’s it,” said Melissa Christie, whose daughter attends Lynn Classical. “There was a stabbing at the school near his class. He said there had been a fight. My heart dropped.”
At 12 o’clock at night, there was a long line of parents stretching along the sidewalk.
Jeanette Rentas was there to pick up her 15-year-old grandson.
“My grandson has anxiety and his anxiety is up to here,” she said. You know, you wake up in the morning, you send your kids to school and you only think about education. You never think that something will happen to them. But you never know.”
Unfortunately, too many parents know this.
The incident at Lynn Classical pales in comparison to what happened exactly one year earlier: when nineteen children and two teachers were killed after a shooter entered a school in Uvalde, Texas.
Senior Christian Johnson was thinking about those bigger possibilities.
“There are a lot of innocent kids at the school,” said Johnson, who was there to collect his cap and gown for graduation. “Look at all these parents outside. It’s sad, because they think their child is hurt.”
“Schools are supposed to be a place of learning, they’re supposed to be a good safe public space,” said Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker. “Some of these issues that we’re seeing are concerning. Unfortunately, we’re seeing them across the Commonwealth.”
How did a knife get into the school in the first place? Students tell Boston 25 News there is no metal detector at the entrance. But Tucker said he’s not sure, at this point, whether installing them is the best way to prevent violence.
The mayor’s office described the incident as “extremely worrying”.
“We share our condolences for the victim and his family and hope for a speedy recovery,” the mayor said. “The school department is in communication with the families of the Classical students. The safety of our students is our highest priority and violence at any level in our schools is unacceptable.”
An investigation remains ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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