A teenager aged 16 has entered a plea of not guilty to charges of first-degree assault related to an incident that occurred at Foss High School in Tacoma, Washington, on April 30.
In Tacoma, Washington, a high school student stands accused of stabbing four fellow students and a security guard. On Friday, the teenager faced legal proceedings where he was formally charged with four counts of first-degree assault.
Tried as an adult for the events of April 30, the 16-year-old was assigned a bail amount of $750,000 during Friday’s court session. The next court appearance is slated for June 1.
Police in Tacoma responded to an urgent call from Foss High School that afternoon following reports of multiple stabbings in the cafeteria and hallway. Upon arrival, officers discovered six individuals with injuries.
All six injured were transported to nearby hospitals, with at least two necessitating surgical intervention. According to court documents, one victim underwent surgery to remove part of his lung.
The security guard involved recounted to police that he was in the principal’s office when he heard a distress call. He and the principal rushed to the scene, witnessing a student altercation. While attempting to restrain the suspect, the guard sustained a cut but succeeded in disarming the teen.
The security guard told police the boy apologized to him. The guard said he believes the teen did not intentionally stab him.
Prior to the confrontation, one of the students received a call from another stating they were going to get into a fight with the suspect. He told police he noticed the teen clutching something in his pocket before the fight broke out. The teen kept getting in their “bubble,” and they began “bombing” on him. He then looked down and saw he was bleeding.
Another apparent victim said all four who were stabbed had issues with the boy over an incident the day before at a skate park. They told police their friend said the teen stole from him and that one of the students should confront him about it.
A third apparent victim said he heard the suspect had taken a vape pen from someone but did not know the person.
One of the suspect’s family members apparently told police she heard the fight was also over a vape pen.
According to charging documents, security video shows the four victims confront the boy. At one point they make a semi-circle around him. Video shows him slapping his own face and bouncing back and forth toward one of the other students, “as if trying to get [the student] to strike first.”
The teenager can then be seen reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. One of the victims and the boy lunge toward each other and the fight ensues.
KING 5 obtained video of the incident, which shows the fight after it began.
