Hours after two students were stabbed at a Fulton County high school Wednesday morning, the principal called it a “senseless act of violence.”
The incident happened at Banneker High School near Union City after a fight broke out between students about 9 a.m., a Fulton County Schools spokesperson said. The two students sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
“It is rumored that this incident was a continuation of a community altercation last night and continued into school this morning. I value and need our families as partners,” Principal Jason Stamper wrote in an email to students and parents. “When you are made aware of a potential safety concern, I implore you to immediately communicate with school officials.”
Three students were taken into custody, according to the spokesperson. Officials did not release their names or say if they have been charged.
“The senseless act of violence that occurred today is not who we are at Banneker High School. Some students made a poor choice today, and because of it, our students and our school community have been harmed,” Stamper wrote.
At least one student was wheeled out on a stretcher, according to Channel 2 Action News. One student told the news station that there was a big commotion in the hallway, while another described a bloody scene.
“I saw a lot of blood,” the other student said. “There was like trails of blood on the walls, on the floors. My class was praying for the person who got stabbed.”
The school was placed on lockdown for several hours while administrators and police investigated the stabbing. According to an email sent by Fulton County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney to the district, the high school will be under restrictive movement for 48 hours following the stabbing.
He said he has asked the Board of Education for emergency authorization to hire 10 additional campus security associates who will monitor security systems and report activity to allow on-site police officers and school administrators to react to situations more quickly. The district is also coordinating with city officials to get an increased police presence in and around the campus, according to Looney.
“I want to assure you, Fulton County Schools has invested in significant security measures and is prepared to commit additional resources toward the security of our schools,” Looney wrote. “However, we all have a role — staff, students and parents — to play in keeping our schools safe.”
On Friday, gunfire erupted near the exit of McNair High School just before dismissal, a DeKalb County school district spokesperson said. Officials did not say who was involved in the shooting or if anyone was detained. No students or staff were injured.
On Jan. 14, a 19-year-old woman was carjacked in the parking lot of Lithonia High School in DeKalb while she was waiting for her younger brother to get out of his last class, the AJC reported. The teen was startled when a man banged on the driver’s-side window and pointed a gun at her, the teen’s mother said. She got out of the car and the robber drove off, the mother added. No arrests have been made in that case.
