LYNN — A 16-year-old student was stabbed in the back at Lynn Classical High School Wednesday morning, according to the Police Department. The Fire Department transported the student to Salem Hospital with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.
According to a statement from Lynn Police, a 17-year-old male student was taken into custody and initially charged with Assault to Murder and Carrying a Dangerous Weapon on School Grounds.
“This appears to be an isolated incident and there is no information that would indicate a danger to any other students. The Lynn Police Department remains committed to our partnership with the Lynn Public School Department in keeping the safety of students our top priority,” Lynn Police said in the statement.
According to Lynn Police Lt. Rick Connick, police were at the school as of 10:30 a.m. responding to the incident.
“The school entered into a lockdown to ensure everyone’s safety. The Lynn Police Department has apprehended the suspect and is investigating the circumstances surrounding this extremely concerning incident,” Mayor Jared Nicholson’s office said in a statement.
Lynn Classical junior Bianca Valle said students heard the lockdown announcement over the school speakers and started to check their phones to see what was happening, eventually discovering there had been a stabbing.
As of 11:15 a.m., parents were at the school lining up to pick up students.
“The School Department is in communication with the families of students at Classical. Our students’ safety is our top priority and violence on any level in our schools is unacceptable. We will work together to find out more about how this happened and prevent future occurrences,” the Mayor’s office said in the statement.
Carolyn Paton arrived at the scene to pick up her son, who is a sophomore at the school.
“His father called me because his sister saw it right away on the Lynn site,” Paton said. “Obviously, I call my son right away and he gave me voicemail because they’re on lockdown and I text him ‘are you okay?’… He said that they said there was an incident and they’re taking control of the situation.”
As of 11:50 a.m., the Mayor’s office confirmed the lockdown had been lifted.
“We share our sympathies for the victim and his family and hope for a speedy recovery,” the Mayor’s office said in the statement.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more details become available.
