A tragic incident unfolded on Monday at Southeast Raleigh High School in North Carolina when a 15-year-old student was fatally stabbed by a 14-year-old classmate during a brawl that was captured on camera. The violent altercation also resulted in a 16-year-old student being hospitalized with a non-life-threatening stab wound.
Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson confirmed the incident during a press conference, stating that both victims were rushed to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, one of the victims did not survive his injuries. Patterson expressed her deep concern over the incident, describing it as “very disturbing.”
The 14-year-old student accused of the stabbings was subsequently arrested and charged with murder on a juvenile petition, according to local authorities. The fight, which was partially recorded, showed two students engaging in a physical altercation before it escalated into a larger brawl involving other students.
The footage obtained by local news outlets WRAL and CBS 17 showed one of the students wielding a sharp object and appearing to stab two teens before fleeing the scene. The identities of the victims and the suspect have not been disclosed.
The mother of the accused, Sherelle McLaughlin, spoke to WRAL, claiming that her son was merely defending himself. She also expressed doubt that her son brought the knife to school, suggesting instead that he may have obtained it from someone else on the premises.
McLaughlin expressed her sorrow over the entire situation, stating, “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.”
In the aftermath of the incident, the school was closed on Tuesday to allow students to process the loss of their classmate and for the district to review its safety protocols. Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor expressed his dismay over the incident, stating, “Schools should be a safe haven for our students and staff. What happened here today is unacceptable.”