Authorities said a Washington State high school student was arrested for planning to stab a student during an attempted robbery in the school’s bathroom.
The suspect was disarmed by other students, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said.
Police said the 17-year-old boy had reportedly placed a steak knife in his backpack, rode the bus to Spanaway Lake High School and then went into a bathroom stall, waiting for a random student to enter.
Once there was only one other student in the bathroom, he exited the stall, brandishing the knife, deputies said..
When the suspect demanded the student’s wallet and threatened him with the knife, the victim ran out into a crowded hallway.
The 17-year-old walked down the hall, stopped, and then walked back to the bathroom, where he stood in the doorway and pointed the knife at other students in the hallway, according to the sheriff’s department.
Students were able to disarm the teen and threw the knife into a garbage can, where it was later recovered. No one was hurt.
The 17-year-old was arrested for investigation of first-degree attempted robbery, having a dangerous weapon on school property and intimidation. He was taken to Remann Hall in Tacoma without incident.
Deputies said they determined that the suspect has several mental health issues, has been hearing voices, has reportedly been thinking about harming other people and was planning the incident for some time.
Deputies said that on the night before the incident, the boy was researching how much pressure was needed to stab someone and puncture skin.
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