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Student stabbed at Royal Palm Beach HS

Posted at 9:30 AM, May 25, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-27 23:32:45-04

Palm Beach County School Superintendent Robert Avossa said a student at Royal Palm Beach High School was stabbed with a pocketknife Wednesday morning inside a boys' bathroom.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Capt. Albert Borroto said the stabbing occurred at 8:47 a.m.

Witnesses say there was a crowd surrounding the two students during the attack. Two adult witnesses say school employees helped break up the attack.

"We all saw, because it was like a giant group. But then we saw the police pushing everybody away," said Lian Bessieres, a 10th grader at the school.

The school went into a code yellow lockdown, so no one could enter or leave the campus until school police were done with their investigation.

The lockdown lifted shortly after the attack.

School officials said the victim was transported by Trauma Hawk to St. Mary's Medical Center. The district said the principal spoke to the child's mother and she said he was in stable condition.

The stabbing suspect, who is also a student, was immediately apprehended and taken into custody.

He's facing charges of attempted murder and possession of a weapon on school grounds.

Officials said the juvenile was stabbed while students were changing classes.  

Parents were notified of the attack through an automated phone call from the school's principal.

In the message, Principal Jesus Armas said, "We had an isolated incident during class change where a student stabbed another."

He continued to say, "Classes are currently in session, and we'll continue the day as normal because there is no reason not to."

During a 10 a.m. news conference, Avossa said it is too early to specify what caused the altercation.  School police are investigating.

The principal of Royal Palm Beach High school told students, "We will not allow one isolated incident to define us."