Student fatally stabbed by trespasser at California high school, officials say
A high school student in California was killed Monday when a trespasser entered the front of her school and fatally stabbed her, district officials said. The suspect, who has not been identified, has been taken into custody.
Stockton Police Deputy Chief Eric Kane told reporters that the incident occurred at approximately 11 a.m. local time. The assailant stabbed the Stagg High School student "multiple times," Stockton Unified School District Superintendent John Ramirez Jr. said, adding that she was hospitalized but later died.
Ramirez said it's not yet clear if the attacker and the victim knew each other. Kane said the only information he could provide about the suspect was that he was an adult male in his 40s who arrived at the school in a vehicle.
The suspect was apprehended "immediately" with the help of the school district police officer on the scene, Ramirez said, adding that the officer's actions "helped prevent that from continuing." The school was also placed on lockdown.
He said that while there were school staff at the front of the school, the attacker was able to come through the gate and reach the student.
"It happened so quick that they weren't able to stop it, but they were there immediately, hence why the assailant was able to be detained and taken into custody so quickly," he said.
When asked if the school would be rethinking its security measures in light of the incident, Ramirez said that officials "will definitely be reevaluating, absolutely," and noted that there was a meeting planned for Monday afternoon to brief other schools in the district.
Ramirez did emphasize, however, that the suspect was apprehended very quickly. "The fact that the individual was detained so quickly pays credence to the fact that there were adults there and they were immediately accessible," he said.
The school district said counselors are on site to help students process the incident.