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| Bronx School Stabbing Leaves One Student Dead and Another Wounded | Bronx School Stabbing Leaves One Student Dead and Another Wounded |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| A 15-year-old was fatally stabbed and a 16-year-old was critically wounded in their Bronx high school on Wednesday morning in what the police say was apparently the culmination of weeks of conflict. | A 15-year-old was fatally stabbed and a 16-year-old was critically wounded in their Bronx high school on Wednesday morning in what the police say was apparently the culmination of weeks of conflict. |
| The killing, the first inside a city school building in more than two decades, according to the mayor, set off a lockdown that left hundreds of children cowering in their classrooms, the older ones frantically texting parents for help. As word of the killing spread, parents desperate to see their children descended on the building, which houses two schools — the elementary school P.S. 67 and the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation, serving students in grades 6 to 12. | The killing, the first inside a city school building in more than two decades, according to the mayor, set off a lockdown that left hundreds of children cowering in their classrooms, the older ones frantically texting parents for help. As word of the killing spread, parents desperate to see their children descended on the building, which houses two schools — the elementary school P.S. 67 and the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation, serving students in grades 6 to 12. |
| The two who were stabbed were students in the Wildlife Conservation school. The police said that Abel Cedeno, another student at the school, was taken into custody and was charged late Wednesday with murder and attempted murder. | The two who were stabbed were students in the Wildlife Conservation school. The police said that Abel Cedeno, another student at the school, was taken into custody and was charged late Wednesday with murder and attempted murder. |
| The chief of detectives, Robert K. Boyce, said Mr. Cedeno, 18, had handed a switchblade to a school counselor after the stabbing before heading to an administrator’s office, where he waited for the police to arrive. | The chief of detectives, Robert K. Boyce, said Mr. Cedeno, 18, had handed a switchblade to a school counselor after the stabbing before heading to an administrator’s office, where he waited for the police to arrive. |
| The boy who died, Matthew McCree, was stabbed in the chest, according to the police. He was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other victim was stabbed in the arm and the torso, and was in critical but stable condition. The other victim’s name had not been released. | The boy who died, Matthew McCree, was stabbed in the chest, according to the police. He was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other victim was stabbed in the arm and the torso, and was in critical but stable condition. The other victim’s name had not been released. |
| In an interview, Kevin Sampson, a dean at school, said the fatal confrontation stemmed from “bullying,” and at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon Chief Boyce said it appeared the three students had been locked in a running dispute over the first weeks of the school year, and that it blew up inside a fifth-floor history classroom around 10:45 a.m. in front of about 20 other students. | In an interview, Kevin Sampson, a dean at school, said the fatal confrontation stemmed from “bullying,” and at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon Chief Boyce said it appeared the three students had been locked in a running dispute over the first weeks of the school year, and that it blew up inside a fifth-floor history classroom around 10:45 a.m. in front of about 20 other students. |
| The stabbings — and the presence of a switchblade in the school — stirred complaints from some parents that the school did not have metal detectors and prompted questions from reporters to the mayor and police officials about whether the school should have had them. Eighty-eight of the city’s roughly 1,300 school buildings have metal detectors that are used either full time or part time. | The stabbings — and the presence of a switchblade in the school — stirred complaints from some parents that the school did not have metal detectors and prompted questions from reporters to the mayor and police officials about whether the school should have had them. Eighty-eight of the city’s roughly 1,300 school buildings have metal detectors that are used either full time or part time. |
| Among students and faculty, though, the talk was of the lives changed. | Among students and faculty, though, the talk was of the lives changed. |
| Shortly after they were released from the lockdown on Wednesday afternoon, Asia Johnson and Yanique Heatley, both 18, stood outside the high school at 2040 Mohegan Avenue in the West Farms neighborhood. | Shortly after they were released from the lockdown on Wednesday afternoon, Asia Johnson and Yanique Heatley, both 18, stood outside the high school at 2040 Mohegan Avenue in the West Farms neighborhood. |
| The two were friends with all three of the students involved, they said. Ms. Heatley described Mr. Cedeno as “different from the other guys.” | The two were friends with all three of the students involved, they said. Ms. Heatley described Mr. Cedeno as “different from the other guys.” |
| “He likes Nicki Minaj, stuff from H&M. He likes Kylie Jenner,” she said. | “He likes Nicki Minaj, stuff from H&M. He likes Kylie Jenner,” she said. |
| “This hurts,” Ms. Johnson said. “No one should experience bullying but there’s a way to handle it.” | |
| “It’s really sad,” Ms. Heatley added. “Two boys might lose their lives and our friend will never see the outside again.” | “It’s really sad,” Ms. Heatley added. “Two boys might lose their lives and our friend will never see the outside again.” |
| Mr. Sampson, the school’s dean, stood, visibly shaken, outside on Mohegan Avenue. He had performed CPR on Matthew, he said. “Two of my students got stabbed and one of them died,” Mr. Sampson said. “It was about what it’s always about — bullying.” | Mr. Sampson, the school’s dean, stood, visibly shaken, outside on Mohegan Avenue. He had performed CPR on Matthew, he said. “Two of my students got stabbed and one of them died,” Mr. Sampson said. “It was about what it’s always about — bullying.” |
| At a news conference with police and school officials, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the death had shaken him and many others in the community and the city government. | At a news conference with police and school officials, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the death had shaken him and many others in the community and the city government. |
| “It’s unacceptable to ever lose a child to violence inside a school building,” the mayor said. “All of us are feeling this tragedy very personally.” | “It’s unacceptable to ever lose a child to violence inside a school building,” the mayor said. “All of us are feeling this tragedy very personally.” |
| Later, he visited the school, emerging a short time after along with a group of school staff members, many of them in tears. | Later, he visited the school, emerging a short time after along with a group of school staff members, many of them in tears. |
| In the first half of this year, the Police Department recorded 11 public safety episodes at the school, which has 545 students in grades 6 through 12, according to department data. There were two arrests, both for assault. | In the first half of this year, the Police Department recorded 11 public safety episodes at the school, which has 545 students in grades 6 through 12, according to department data. There were two arrests, both for assault. |
| Police officials said on Wednesday that metal detectors could have prevented the violence at the Wildlife Conservation school. But some advocates argue that metal detectors create a negative environment and make students feel as though they are under suspicion. Once installed, scanners are rarely removed. | Police officials said on Wednesday that metal detectors could have prevented the violence at the Wildlife Conservation school. But some advocates argue that metal detectors create a negative environment and make students feel as though they are under suspicion. Once installed, scanners are rarely removed. |
| “This is a school, it was determined, that did not need metal detectors,” said Chief Joanne Jaffe, who oversees the Police Department’s School Safety Division. | “This is a school, it was determined, that did not need metal detectors,” said Chief Joanne Jaffe, who oversees the Police Department’s School Safety Division. |
| The Wildlife Conservation school was started in 2007 by the Urban Assembly, a nonprofit organization that runs 21 small schools across the city, serving primarily low-income and academically struggling students. | The Wildlife Conservation school was started in 2007 by the Urban Assembly, a nonprofit organization that runs 21 small schools across the city, serving primarily low-income and academically struggling students. |
| Student test scores are low: This year 13 percent of the middle school students passed the state reading tests, and 5 percent passed the state math tests. In 2016, the school’s four-year high school graduation rate was 73 percent. More than half of the high school students were chronically absent that year, meaning they missed more than 10 percent of school days. | Student test scores are low: This year 13 percent of the middle school students passed the state reading tests, and 5 percent passed the state math tests. In 2016, the school’s four-year high school graduation rate was 73 percent. More than half of the high school students were chronically absent that year, meaning they missed more than 10 percent of school days. |
| Three years ago, the school changed principals, and it appears to have faced some challenges since: In a school survey conducted last year, just 55 percent of students said that they felt safe in the hallways, bathrooms, locker rooms and cafeteria, down from 74 percent the year before. | Three years ago, the school changed principals, and it appears to have faced some challenges since: In a school survey conducted last year, just 55 percent of students said that they felt safe in the hallways, bathrooms, locker rooms and cafeteria, down from 74 percent the year before. |
| On Wednesday, as the school was plunged into a lockdown, the safety felt all the more elusive. | On Wednesday, as the school was plunged into a lockdown, the safety felt all the more elusive. |
| Lennette Berry’s 13-year-old daughter texted her from where she was stranded, in theater class. A boy had attacked two of his classmates, the girl, an eighth grader, wrote in a text message. | Lennette Berry’s 13-year-old daughter texted her from where she was stranded, in theater class. A boy had attacked two of his classmates, the girl, an eighth grader, wrote in a text message. |
| “Was he being bullied?” Ms. Berry texted back. “Yes,” her daughter replied. | “Was he being bullied?” Ms. Berry texted back. “Yes,” her daughter replied. |