Knife-wielding Man Stabs Students At A Pennsylvania High School

Shortly after Franklin Regional High School opened its doors Wednesday morning, and right before the bell rang signaling the start of classes, a lone knife wielding man walked through the doors of a Pennsylvania high school and began slashing what appeared to be random students in classrooms and hallways.

CNN reported that as many as 20 students were injured in the attack, with some receiving superficial wounds to their bodies. However, four students suffered significant injuries, and at least one student had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital to receive treatment for life threatening injuries.

Dan Stevens, a spokesman for Westmoreland County Emergency Management, said law enforcement has a suspect, a male student, in custody. He is currently being questioned by Murrysville police and county detectives, but no motive has been revealed.

Stevens detailed that around 7:15 a.m., a first responder unit was called to the Pennsylvania high school about a reported stabbing in several first-floor classrooms and in the hallways shortly before classes started. He said that the violence lasted for a half hour before police were able to arrest the suspect.

Students at the high school just 20 miles east of Pittsburgh were stunned at the occurrence and called their school “a very safe” place. Kari Lee, a student at Franklin, described the mayhem that surrounded the incident to NBC News:

“I was walking into the school and a stampede of people were running after me. They were screaming, ‘Go to your cars! Go to your cars! Someone is stabbing people! It was really scary but it happened so fast I didn’t know what to think.”

School officials posted an emergency message for parents to the school’s website:

“A critical incident has occurred at the high school. All elementary schools are cancelled, the middle school and high school students are secure. Additional information will be released as soon as possible. Please keep our campus clear of traffic.”

Parents were instructed to pick up their children from a nearby elementary school.

Current reports indicate the victims range from 14 to 60 years in age. News about the Pennsylvania high school stabbing is still developing, and The Inquisitr will update as more information becomes available.

[Image Via Screencap]