Franklin Regional High School stabbing

Franklin Regional High School stabbing
Location of Murrysville within the state of Pennsylvania.
Location Murrysville, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates 40°25′45″N 79°40′09″W / 40.42917°N 79.66917°W / 40.42917; -79.66917Coordinates: 40°25′45″N 79°40′09″W / 40.42917°N 79.66917°W / 40.42917; -79.66917
Date April 9, 2014 (2014-04-09)
c. 7:13 a.m. – c. 7:18 a.m.[1][2]
Attack type
 Mass stabbing
Weapons Kitchen knives
Deaths 0
Non-fatal injuries
 25 (23 directly, including the attacker)
Suspected perpetrator
 Alex Hribal

On April 9, 2014, a mass stabbing and slashing incident took place at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pennsylvania where 21 people were injured, including the perpetrator. The suspect, identified by police as Alex Hribal, a 16-year-old male student at the school, was armed with two knives and was taken into custody by police.[3][4] He has been charged as an adult with attempted homicide and aggravated assault.

Details

At around 7:13 a.m., the attacker, armed with a pair of 8-inch kitchen knives[5] and wearing all-black clothing,[6] stabbed and slashed students in the first-floor science hallway,[7] just minutes before the start of school. At least six[8] of the first students he stabbed were in a large crowd and only noticed that they were bleeding, not knowing that they were intentionally stabbed. Witnesses described the attacker as appearing emotionless during the rampage. The attacker was then subdued by the assistant principal, Sam King, with the help of a student, Ian Griffith, after spotting a school resource officer who was wounded.[9] When he was restrained by King, the attacker said he would not drop the knives because "my work is not done, I have more people to kill."[10][11] He was later treated for injuries to his hand. Five minutes after the stabbings began, police arrived and secured the school.[1][12][13]

Victims

A total of 22 people suffered stabbing injuries during the rampage.[4] The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) treated twelve patients. UPMC officials stated that two boys were in critical condition, two boys were in serious condition, and a boy and two girls were in fair condition. One victim was placed on a ventilator after a knife pierced his liver, while another suffered an open wound to the face that required 11 stitches. Five UPMC patients had been discharged as of April 9: three boys, a girl, and an adult. The teenage victims ranged in age from 14 to 17.[14] According to officials, none of the victims appeared to be specifically targeted.[1] In addition to the stabbing victims, two other students suffered unrelated injuries while fleeing the school, and the attacker suffered injuries to his hand.[2] On April 23, two victims were discharged from hospitals.[15][16] On May 18, Greg Keener, the last of the victims, was discharged from Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville.[17]

Aftermath

Eight of the injured people were taken to Forbes Regional Hospital in nearby Monroeville shortly thereafter.[18] These people were hospitalized because they had suffered serious injuries, including "deep wounds to the abdomen", according to hospital officials.[19] Witnesses say that the perpetrator, after stabbing the victims, "just got up and ran away really fast."[1] Of the 22 victims, 21 were students and the other was a school resource officer.[4][20] The affected school district, Franklin Regional School District, announced on its website that it was canceling high school classes, but not middle or elementary school ones.[21]

Police chief Thomas Seefeld said that the alarms that went off during the stabbing, which occurred because Nate Scimio, a student, pulled the fire alarm shortly after the attack began,[22][23] encouraging many people to evacuate the school, and that this led to the number of victims being lower than it otherwise would have been.[19] However, testimony later clarified that it was Hribal who pulled the fire alarm after stabbing several victims, in order to let students flood the hallway and allow him to attack more victims. This testimony was supported by surveillance footage of Hribal pulling the fire alarm.[7]

The school was closed down and cleaned up by a restoration company.[24] On April 15, classes resumed at the school.[25] On April 30, the Calvary Lutheran Church, a local church in Murrysville, set up a fund to assist Hribal's family in legal expenses, which currently holds $500 in donations.[26]

On April 9, 2015, Murrysville marked the one-year anniversary of the stabbing rampage. Several local churches held worship services that night.[27]

Suspect

Alex Hribal (born October 1, 1997),[28] a then-16-year-old sophomore[3][20] who has been described as "really shy,"[1] was taken into custody as the suspected perpetrator.[29] He has also been described as "quiet," "smart" and as having "a good future ahead of him."[22] He alleged that he was depressed, had suicidal thoughts during the fifth grade, and that those emotions returned while he was attending Franklin Regional High School.[30] He was believed by police to have threatened at least two students by phone prior to the rampage, but neither student was one of the victims.[31] Officials have declared that Hribal was responsible for the stabbing, that he stabbed people in multiple classrooms, and that he used two "straight knives", measuring 8 to 10 inches (20.32 to 25.4 cm), to carry it out.[18][32] According to testimony, Hribal had begun planning the attack on September 22, 2013.[7]

Several items belonging to Hribal were seized from his home, including a notebook with writing in it and a knife holder assumed to have held the two knives used in the attack. A cellphone was also seized from Hribal's school locker,[33] as was a note dated April 6, which read, "I can't wait to see the priceless and helpless looks on the faces of the students of one of the 'best schools in Pennsylvania' realize their precious lives are going to be taken by the only one among them that isn't a plebian [sic]."[34]

On June 10, 2014, a warrant was unsealed which stated that Hribal had written a document about the Norse legend Ragnarök, as well as his dissatisfaction with society.[35] The warrant also stated that two students had received threatening phone calls on the day before the stabbing, which were suspected to have been from Hribal.[36] On September 26, 2014, psychologist Bruce Chambers testified that Hribal was inspired by the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, that he identified with the perpetrators Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, and that he had originally planned to carry out the stabbing on April 20, the fifteenth anniversary of Columbine, but changed the date to April 9, the birthday of Eric Harris, because school was cancelled for April 20.[30]

Legal proceedings

Hribal was initially charged as an adult, and initially faced charges of four counts of attempted homicide, 21 counts of aggravated assault, and one count of carrying a weapon on school property.[4][8][37] On April 25, Hribal's charges were upgraded to 21 counts of attempted homicide and 21 counts of aggravated assault, which was due to the discovery of a note allegedly written by him that declared his intention to take lives during the attack.[38][39] If convicted of all counts, Hribal faces up to 585 years of prison.[40] His attorney is seeking a psychiatric evaluation, and is seeking to have his case transferred to juvenile court. If his lawyer succeeds, Hribal will be set free at the age of 21.[41]

On April 28, Hribal's preliminary hearing was delayed until May 9 due to the new charges filed against him.[42] On May 5, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that this hearing had been further postponed, this time until June 4, at the request of Hribal's lawyer.[43] On June 11, Hribal, who was charged as an adult, pleaded not guilty to all charges.[36]

On June 11, 2014, Hribal's attorney, Patrick Thomassey, asked that Hribal be transferred to the juvenile treatment center Adelphoi Village, claiming that his mental and physical health had greatly deteriorated while he was held at the Regional Youth Services Center in Hempfield, Pennsylvania. On July 10, Westmoreland County Judge Richard E. McCormick, Jr., signed a court order allowing Hribal to be assessed by Dr. Bruce E. Wright. The county's district attorney said this evaluation was necessary to respond to Thomassey's request.[44] Hribal was scheduled to be formally arraigned on July 23.[45] On August 12, 2014, it was reported that Hribal's trial had been set for October 6 in Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court, although the date was canceled on September 17.[46][47] The trial, initially rescheduled for December,[48] was later rescheduled to March 2015,[49] then again to May 30, 2015.[50]

On September 26, 2014, while leaving a mental health hearing, Hribal told a news reporter that he was sorry for committing the attack. He was expected to be transferred to Southwood Psychiatric Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after passing a medical examination and psychiatric evaluation, but the hospital refused to admit him on September 30, reportedly due to safety concerns.[7][30][51]

On May 29, 2015, a hearing that will determine whether the case will be moved to a juvenile court was rescheduled for June 22. The proper trial for the stabbing rampage was also rescheduled for at least July 6.[52][53] On June 23, victims of the rampage testified in court about their injuries and urged the judge to try Hribal as an adult.[54] On September 24, a judge ruled that Hribal must be transferred from a juvenile detention center to Westmoreland County Prison when he turns eighteen years old.[28][55] This transfer was carried out on October 1, and the judge refused to set bail for Hribal on October 26, citing public safety concerns.[55][56]

In June and November 2015, testimony statements were given by victims and defense experts in regards to the decision whether Hribal's case should be moved to juvenile court, a process that was finished on April 13, 2016. The prosecution argued that Hribal planned the attack in advance and traumatized his victims and the community; while Hribal's lawyer argued that no one was killed during the stabbings despite the serious injuries inflicted, and that the victims' testimonies indicated they appeared to have moved on.[57][58] On May 9, 2016, the judge ruled that Hribal will be tried as an adult.[59]

On November 21, 2016, the judge held off on making a decision regarding Hribal's mental illness plea. The prosecutors and the attorney Hribal will file written arguments in the next month-and-a-half over whether he should accept the plea. If the judge accepts the plea, Hribal could spend part of his sentence in a mental hospital until doctors determine he is well, and then finish the sentence in prison. If the plea is not accepted, Hribal will face trial where his attorney claims they will request a jury. [60]

School security

The school was not equipped with metal detectors.[61] Since February 2013, the school district has had 130 video cameras from various schools live streamed to police, explained as a precaution against violent incidents.[62] On May 5, 2014, the school distributed clear backpacks to all of its students, courtesy of Monroeville car dealership #1 Cochran.[63] School district spokeswoman Mary Catherine Reljac said in a statement that the measure was intended to "bring an added sense of safety and security during the school day as the school community continues to heal".[64]

Reaction

Following the incident, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett visited Murrysville and held a press conference, giving a speech praising the heroes of the rampage, saying, "There are a number of heroes in this day. Many of them are students. Students who stayed with their friends and didn't leave their friends."[12] He also called April 9 another "sad day" in the country and asked if schools should have metal detectors.[32] Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, Jr. released a statement on the incident, saying, "I am stunned by the senseless tragedy at Franklin Regional High School. Our schools should be places where children can learn and grow without fear of violence. I am inspired by the bravery of the school personnel and students, and I am grateful for the heroic work of the first responders, emergency and medical personnel who cared for those injured. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the entire Franklin Regional School District."[65]

On April 10, U.S. President Barack Obama called Franklin Principal Ron Suvak to tell him that the FBI would continue to assist in the investigation of the attack.[66]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Stanglin, Doug (April 9, 2014). "'Shy' suspect arrested after stabbing 19 at Pa. school". USA Today. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Knife-wielding student wounds 22 in Pennsylvania school". Yahoo News. April 9, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Stieber, Zachary. Alex Hribal ID'd as Stabbing Suspect in Franklin Regional High School Stabbings, The Epoch Times, April 9, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "24-Injured In Stabbing At Franklin Regional High School". Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  5. ↑ "High school stabbings: Friend 'saved my life,' injured boy says". latimes.com. April 10, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Teen suspect charged in school stab rampage". New York Post. April 9, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Witnesses: Alex Hribal worshiped Columbine attackers, pulled fire alarm during rampage". wtae. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Teen charged as adult in stabbing rampage at Pa. high school". CNN. April 9, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Complaint: School stabbing suspect said, 'I have more people to kill'". CNN. April 25, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  10. ↑ School Stab-Spree Suspect Alex Hribal Planned to Kill, Cops Say, NBC News, April 25, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Future Penn Stater Helps Thwart High School Stabber". Onward State. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Teen stabs 22 at Pittsburgh-area high school"
  13. ↑ "School Stabbing Hero Gracey Evans: 'He Saved My Life, So I Saved His'". The Huffington Post. April 9, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  14. ↑ Begos, Kevin. Police: Pa. student flashed 2 knives, injured 20, Associated Press, April 9, 2014.
  15. ↑ "2 Pa. school stabbing victims' conditions improve". Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Two Franklin Regional stabbing victims released from hospitals". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 23, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  17. ↑ Fieldstadt, Elisha (18 May 2014). "Last Victim of Pennsylvania School Stabbing Spree Leaves Hospital". NBC News. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  18. 1 2 Susman, Tina (April 9, 2014). "20 stabbed at Pennsylvania high school; student had 2 knives". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  19. 1 2 Stanglin, Doug (April 9, 2014). "At least 19 stabbed at Pa. school; suspect arrested". USA Today. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  20. 1 2 "20-Injured In Stabbing At Franklin Regional High School". CBS Pittsburgh. April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  21. ↑ Williams, Timothy (April 9, 2014). "Student Stabs at Least 20 at Pennsylvania School". New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  22. 1 2 Susman, Tina (April 9, 2014). "Pennsylvania school stabbing: Teen 'stabbed anyone around him,' witness says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  23. ↑ Koplowitz, Howard (9 April 2014). "Nate Scimio Hailed As Hero Student Who Pulled Franklin Regional High School Fire Alarm After Being Stabbed". International Business Times. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  24. ↑ "Four students still hospitalized after Murrysville school stabbing rampage". PennLive.com. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Students return to Penn. high school for first time since 22 were stabbed by 16-year-old suspect". NY Daily News. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Murrysville church will help with defense costs for school stabbing suspect". TribLIVE.com. April 30, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Community Healing 1 Year After Franklin Regional Stabbings". CBS Pittsburgh. April 9, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  28. 1 2 "Teen who stabbed high school students must go to jail at 18". Yahoo! News. September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Multiple students stabbed in Pennsylvania". Chicago Tribune. April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  30. 1 2 3 Guidotti, Ross (26 September 2014). "Testimony: Franklin Regional Stabbing Suspect's Attack Inspired By Columbine". CBS Pittsburgh. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  31. ↑ "Police believe accused high school stabber threatened 2 classmates before spree". Fox News. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  32. 1 2 "About 19 Students Injured In Knife Attack At Pa. High School". NPR.org. April 9, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  33. ↑ "FBI agents seize cellphone from Alex Hribal's school locker, several items from his Murrysville home". wtae. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  34. ↑ "Cops: Boy In Knife Attacks Wrote Chilling Note". Boston.com. Associated Press. April 25, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Search warrant: Pennsylvania school stabbing suspect wrote about Norse end-of-world legend". Fox News Channel. Associated Press. June 16, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  36. 1 2 Reuters (12 June 2014). "Pennsylvania School Stabbing Suspect Alex Hribal Pleads Not Guilty". Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  37. ↑ Continuing Coverage of the Franklin Regional High School Stabbings, WTAE, April 9, 2014.
  38. ↑ New charges filed against Franklin Regional stabbing, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 25, 2014.
  39. ↑ "New charges filed against Franklin Regional stabbing suspect". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  40. ↑ McClam, Erin. Alex Hribal Is Not 'a Loner or a Weirdo,' Lawyer Says, NBC News, April 11, 2014.
  41. ↑ Mandak, Joe (12 April 2014). "Stabbing Suspect's Mental State Is Key to the Case". ABC News. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  42. ↑ "Franklin Regional stabbing suspect's hearing delayed". Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Hearing for boy accused in Franklin Regional High School knife attack postponed". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  44. ↑ Cholodofsky, Rich (10 July 2014). "Doctor for prosecution to evaluate Franklin Regional stabbing suspect's mental state". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  45. ↑ "Alex Hribal, Suspect In School Stabbing Spree, Waives Court Appearance". The Huffington Post. June 2, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  46. ↑ Kurutz, Daveen Rae (12 August 2014). "Trial date set for Franklin Regional stabbing suspect". TribLive. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  47. ↑ "Franklin Regional stabbing suspect allowed to attend relative's funeral visitation". Post-Gazette. September 17, 2014.
  48. ↑ "Hribal seeks trial postponement in Franklin Regional stabbings". Post-Gazette. October 30, 2014.
  49. ↑ "Trial delayed until March in high school stabbings". WTAE-TV. October 31, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Juvenile status hearing, trial delayed in Franklin Regional stabbings". Tribune-Review. May 29, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Accused Pennsylvania stabber rejected by psychiatric unit: judge". Yahoo! News. September 30, 2014.
  52. ↑ "Juvenile status hearing, trial delayed in school stabbings". WTAE Pittsburgh. May 29, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  53. ↑ "Hearing to Move Pa. High School Stabbing Case to Juvenile Court, Trial Delayed". NBC News. May 29, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  54. ↑ "Pennsylvania School Stabbing Victims Urge Judge To 'Fix Evil' By Trying Alex Hribal As Adult". The Huffington Post. June 23, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  55. 1 2 Hardway, Ashlie (October 26, 2015). "No bail for Alex Hribal in Franklin Regional High School stabbing case". WTAE. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  56. ↑ Hardway, Ashlie; Kaplan, David (October 1, 2015). "Franklin Regional stabbing suspect transferred out of juvenile detention". WTAE. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  57. ↑ Zemba, Liz (April 13, 2016). "Hribal aimed to kill in Franklin Regional school stabbing spree, Westmoreland DA Peck argues". Tribune Live. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  58. ↑ Semba, Liz (February 16, 2016). "Victims of Franklin Regional stabbings have 'moved on,' Hribal attorney says". Tribune Live. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  59. ↑ Ingram, Sheldon (May 9, 2016). "Alex Hribal to be tried as adult for knife attack in Murrysville school". WTAE. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  60. ↑ "Judge delays plea ruling in school stabbings". ABC27. November 21, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  61. ↑ Alex Johnson (2014-04-09). "Five Questions About Alex Hribal and the Pennsylvania School Stabbings". NBC News.
  62. ↑ "Murrysville district streaming 130 cameras to police". WPXI.com. 2013-02-19.
  63. ↑ Orlando, Trina (5 May 2014). "Clear Backpacks Distributed To Franklin Regional Students". CBS Pittsburgh. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  64. ↑ Connor, Tracy (5 May 2014). "Stabbing Spree Prompts Clear-Bag Rule at Pennsylvania School". NBC News. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  65. ↑ "22 stabbed, 2 others hurt in Franklin Regional High School stabbing rampage". WPXI. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  66. ↑ Brown, Pamela; Mallonee, Mary Kay; Carter, Chelsea J. (April 10, 2014). "After Pennsylvania school stabbing, authorities and community ask: 'Why?'". CNN.
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