Teen in custody, three students injured
Three students were stabbed at a junior-senior high school near Reading by another student as students, school officials and police overpowered a student who brought explosive material to the school.
Three students were stabbed at a junior-senior high school near Reading by another student as students, school officials and police overpowered a student who brought explosive material to the school.
Three students suffered minor injuries during two confrontations with the 13-year-old assailant.
The alleged attacker at Antietam Middle-Senior High School in Lower Alsace Township was taken into custody by police after school officials disarmed him.
"We're not sure what it is or what his intentions were," said Berks Regional Police Officer Raymond Serafin.
Police said the student, who was not identified, was carrying two duffle bags. One contained his regular school gear; the other contained several knives, small firecrackers, a respirator, a gas can that was partially filled, and a water bottle that apparently was filled with some type of lantern fuel.
A 16-year-old girl was taken to Reading Hospital with cuts to both hands. Doctors also treated a 15-year-old girl with a small wound on the upper back and a 14-year-old youth with a small wound to his upper-right arm, a hospital spokesman said. The boy was later released.
Students said the eighth grader was being harassed by the 16-year-old and other female students. Serafin said they found a note at the boy's home. Although the contents were not disclosed, Serafin said the student revealed he "had some issues with being at school."
Police and school officials gave this account:
Shortly after 8 a.m., the student, who had skipped homeroom and been marked absent, went into his scheduled first-period English class and began pointing at other students before grabbing a 16-year-old female classmate, throwing her to the floor, and assaulting her with a knife.
Other students rushed to the girl's aid, allowing the 13-year-old to leave the classroom. She and other students fled into the hallway, screaming and calling for help. The attacker stabbed two other students before being confronted by James Snyder, the school principal, and at least one other teacher.
Snyder said he talked to the student for about 15 minutes, trying to calm him down. During that conversation, the student held them at bay with a handheld propane cannister.
"The student appeared calm, but he clearly was very angry with school personnel, the students and everything about the school," Snyder said. "We talked to him and tried to get him to come to my office, but he refused."
During the conversation, English teacher David Kase walked up from behind the student and knocked a propane canister, of the sort used to sweat pipes, from the student's arm. Snyder and another teacher were then able to restrain the youth.
"We just held him against the wall," said Snyder, adding that police arrived "within seconds."
Snyder said he could not quote the teen, whom he did not know but recognized from seeing him around the school. "He used the word hate frequently," said Snyder. "I hate the school; I hate you."
Snyder said he did not know of any warning signs. "There's nothing that triggers me to say 'I saw this coming,' " said Snyder. "I would classify him as a regular student. Nothing out of the ordinary," he said
Snyder added: "This was not a frequent flyer to my office."
Serafin, of the Berks Regional police, said the teen was being interviewed with his parents at the police station. John Adams, of the Berks County District Attorney's Office, said he expected a detention hearing to be held Friday.
Snyder said he knew of no hazing taking place in the school and said the youth has no criminal record and no history of violence or other problems.
The school was evacuated shortly after the stabbings. The red-brick building was surrounded by a dozen fire trucks and emergency vehicles, blocking access to the building. Police evacuated residents living within a block of the school about 10 a.m. They were allowed back in at 1:45 p.m.
The school enrolls about 540 students in grades seven through 12 and is about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Officials said school will be open tomorrow, with counseling available for students. The FBI's Allentown office will send representatives from its crisis unit to assist. In addition, a forum will be set up for parents who want to get questions answered. School district superintendent Larry Mayes said additional information would be available on the district's Web site (http://www.antietamsd.org/).
"It's unfortunate that one individual can generate this type of reaction," Mayes said. He added that he was pleased with the way the matter was handled. "A lot of agencies came together today to prevent what could have been a very tragic situation."