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Up to 20 people stabbed at Pennsylvania high school Up to 22 people stabbed at Pennsylvania high school
(about 5 hours later)
A teenager armed with two knives has gone on a rampage at a high school in the US state of Pennsylvania, injuring 19 students and a security guard. An attacker armed with two knives has gone on a rampage at a high school in the US state of Pennsylvania, stabbing 21 students and a security guard.
The 16-year-old student was taken into custody at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, a suburb of Pittsburgh, police said. A suspect, named as Alex Hribal, 16, was arrested at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville near Pittsburgh, police said.
The wounded, some with serious stab wounds to the torso, were as young as 14. Several were in surgery in hospital. He was later charged with four counts of attempted homicide and 21 counts of assault. The wounded, some with serious stab wounds, were as young as 14.
All are expected to survive.All are expected to survive.
Eight patients were transported to nearby Forbes Regional Hospital. Two of those patients were in critical condition. Another 12 were treated at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, with two in critical condition and another two in serious condition. "There are a number of heroes in this day. Many of them are students," Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett said in an evening press conference in Murrysville. "Students who stayed with their friends and didn't leave their friends."
'Frantic''Frantic'
The school will be closed for the next several days as investigators process the crime scene, Gennaro Piraino, superintendent of the Franklin Regional school district, said. Twenty people were transported to two nearby hospitals after the attack, including several who needed surgery for "significant" stab wounds, with damage to major organs, according to a trauma director at Forbes Hospital.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and all of those affected by this awful tragedy," he said. "I pray and we pray every day that this doesn't happen." A 17-year-old patient was also on ventilator after a knife pierced his liver.
The initial report of the attack came before 08:00 local time (12:00 GMT) on Wednesday morning. The young man will need additional surgery "but we're very hopeful that he will make it through this," Dr Lou Alarcon, a medical director at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center told a local broadcaster.
"A critical incident has occurred at the high school," school officials wrote in a bulletin. "All elementary schools are cancelled, the middle school and high school students are secure." The school will be closed for several days as investigators process the crime scene, Gennaro Piraino, superintendent of the Franklin Regional school district, said.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and all of those affected by this awful tragedy," he said.
The attack occurred as students were arriving at the school before 08:00 (12:00 GMT) on Wednesday morning.
Murrysville Police Chief Thomas Seefeld said someone, possibly a student, pulled a fire alarm after seeing the first stabbings.Murrysville Police Chief Thomas Seefeld said someone, possibly a student, pulled a fire alarm after seeing the first stabbings.
The panicked students poured out of the school building, some suffering injuries in the chaos, as police descended in search of the suspected attacker.The panicked students poured out of the school building, some suffering injuries in the chaos, as police descended in search of the suspected attacker.
Among the injured was a security guard, Mr Seefeld said.
Police have not determined a motive, but investigators are looking into reports of a threatening phone call between the suspect and another student the night before.Police have not determined a motive, but investigators are looking into reports of a threatening phone call between the suspect and another student the night before.
Officials have credited an assistant principal at the school with subduing the suspect. Officials have credited an assistant principal at the school with subduing the suspect, who has been charged as an adult.
In an interview outside the school, Morris Hundley said his "frantic" 14-year-old daughter Morriah called him to say a friend of hers had been stabbed at the school.In an interview outside the school, Morris Hundley said his "frantic" 14-year-old daughter Morriah called him to say a friend of hers had been stabbed at the school.
"She needed me or my wife to come get her," he said. "She was just frantic, I never heard her talk like that.""She needed me or my wife to come get her," he said. "She was just frantic, I never heard her talk like that."
Are you in the area? Do you have any information you would like to share? Please send us your comments. You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'Pittsburgh'.Are you in the area? Do you have any information you would like to share? Please send us your comments. You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'Pittsburgh'.