Student stabbed in fight with peer, leading to soft lockdown at Proviso West High School: officials
HILLSIDE, Ill. (WLS) -- A suspect is in custody after a student was stabbed during a fight at a west suburban high school Tuesday morning, a spokesperson for Hillside said.
Two Proviso West High School students, who have a history on animosity, got into a fight on school grounds, in a stairwell adjacent to the school building, the spokesperson said.
One student was stabbed, and suffered a non-life threatening injury to the arm. The student was taken to the hospital.
"A video got around of blood everywhere," said junior Mekhi Watters. ""I was kind of shocked. My sister said she was terrified."
Shortly after 10 a.m., the school was placed on lockdown.
"Swift action was taken by the school administration, local law enforcement and emergency medical teams, who arrived promptly at the scene," a message to parents said.
The suspect left the school on foot, but his car was left at the school. Police towed the truck out of the parking lot and brought it to the police station, the spokesperson said.
Officers took the suspect into custody Tuesday afternoon. Officials said the school is safe and secure, and classes resumed about an hour after the lockdown began.
"I asked my mom if I could leave and she said yes because the safety. That's my number one priority. I don't think anybody else should be here either. Because someone got stabbed, that's an investigation. The school should be shut down right now and everyone should go home," said senior Jaden Godsey.
But, some students said they didn't feel safe staying.
"I was like, maybe he's still walking around the school, or he dropped the knife and someone else picked it up. He could've been thinking about going to someone else," said freshman Tamia Watters.
Vanessa Bonds came immediately to pick her child up.
"I got the call from my child, not from the school. From my child, telling me, 'Can you come get me?' My child is scared. He sounded terrible. He sounded sad, scared," Bonds said. "This is sad. This is sad for my child, and anybody else's child to be at the school and have to deal with this here."
Parents were left wondering how someone was able to bring a knife to school.
"They have metal detectors in there, but they're not working. I mean, if they were, it would've caught this," Bonds said. "Children are here to learn. They're not here to fight for their life."
The victim was released from the hospital and police were interviewing a witness on Tuesday afternoon.
