16-Year-Old Charged In Hallway Stabbing Of 15-Year-Old Classmate

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Mount Vernon police have arrested a suspect in the stabbing in a high school hallway.

The suspect, identified only as a 16-year-old male, was apprehended by law enforcement officers. He has been arraigned and charged with second degree assault, and remanded to Woodfield Cottage pending his next court appearance.

The incident, reported at 2:45 p.m., involved a fight among multiple students, resulting in a 15-year-old victim sustaining multiple stab wounds. Mount Vernon police responded quickly to the scene and located the victim, who was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center for medical treatment, where he remains in stable condition.

"Our society as a whole is fractured, and our young people are not exempt," Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said. "This is an example of how social, emotional, family and mental health challenges are impacting our youth people. The city will work with the Mount Vernon City School District and larger community to help our young people identify alternatives to violence in dealing with disagreements and conflict. We are praying for the speedy recovery of the injured student."

In a message to families on Thursday, Acting Superintendent of Schools K. Veronica Smith said that the physical altercation among students started around 2:42 p.m., at Mount Vernon High School. The victim was injured in the assault in a first floor hallway seven minutes before dismissal.

The school chief said security placed the building in a hold in place and lockout to ensure the safety of all other students. School security contained the situation and apprehended the 16-year-old suspect, Smith said. Security also took the victim to the school nurse while an ambulance was called.

Mount Vernon police are asking anyone with information about the stabbing to contact the MVPD Detective Division at 914-665-2510. Police say all calls will be kept confidential. Anonymous tips can also be sent via MVPD's "Text-A-Tip" by texting "MVPD" and the tip to 847411. Information can also be sent anonymously using the "Mount Vernon PD" app, available in the Google Play and Apple stores.