17-year-old stabs 2 classmates who were about to attack him at Wharton HS, police say
Wharton ISD informed parents on steps to reunify with students after the on-campus emergency.
WHARTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The stabbing incident that caused Wharton High School's lockdown on Wednesday afternoon happened during a lunchtime fight between multiple students, which left two of them wounded.
The Wharton Independent School District elaborated on earlier reports by the Wharton County Precinct 2 Constable's Office, which confirmed that two students were being treated after the stabbing.
Wharton Police Department added that the school district's law enforcement received reports of multiple stabbings at the high school at about 1:20 p.m.
"Two alleged subjects were located and quickly taken into custody by officers and deputies," Wharton PD wrote in a news release.
The wounded students were both alert and conscious, police added. They later updated that both are stable.
A key point that police wanted to make clear was that the stabbing appears student-driven and not the result of anyone gaining access to the school from outside. All other students are safe, the school district emphasized.
In a letter written by Superintendent Michael J. O'Guin Sr., one student was rushed to a local hospital while another was flown by Life Flight for medical attention. The student sent to the local hospital was then airlifted to Houston for treatment.
Wharton ISD has deferred the investigation to Wharton PD.
The fight
By late afternoon, O'Guin and Wharton PD Chief Terry Lynch clarified what happened based on video evidence in the cafeteria, witness statements, and other preliminary information.
According to Lynch, a 17-year-old allegedly committed the stabbings just as two of his similarly-aged classmates were about to assault him. The teen suspect then took off on foot, disposing of his bladed object.
Officers were able to detain the suspect in a locked-down classroom, the chief said.
The two people who were stabbed were charged with Class A assault counts, while the armed student faces a tampering with evidence charge.
The reason for the fight was not immediately disclosed by the district or police.
Parents crowd schools to reunite with their kids
Other facts that the superintendent stated included that the only weapon involved was a knife and that all other students were safe.
By mid-afternoon, the lockdown at the high school, as well as Wharton Junior High School a mile away, was being lifted and students would be released via the standard reunification process, the superintendent wrote.
The school district informed parents about what's needed to reunify with their children:
The parents of Wharton HS students enter the front entrance of Wharton HS. You must have a valid ID to get your child. Parents will be greeted by district personnel and escorted to the reunification location to pick up their students. Students will only be released to those who are listed on the emergency contact list on the student's profile page.
The parents of Wharton Junior High students should go to the back side of the Wharton HS campus near the pool. You must have a valid ID to get your child. Parents will be greeted by district personnel and escorted to the reunification location to pick up their student. Students will only be released to those who are listed on the emergency contact list on the student's profile page. Thanks in advance for your understanding of this situation.
The school district announced that both campuses will operate as normal Thursday, but counselors are also being offered for the rest of the week.
