A 17-year-old student was slashed inside a Belmont high school, and a 14-year-old student was arrested and charged in connection with the incident, which unfolded just before lunchtime on Friday, Nov. 21, police said.

 

According to NYPD officials, officers from the 48^th Precinct were called to the Fordham Leadership Academy inside Theodore Roosevelt High School campus, located at 500 East Fordham Road at 11.47 a.m. Nov. 21 for a report of a male slashed inside the school.

 

Police said the unidentified victim suffered lacerations to his head and neck and was transported by EMS to St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition.

 

Police reported that a 14-year-old male was apprehended one hour after the slashing within the confines of the 48^th Precinct, which covers the Bronx neighborhoods of Belmont, East Tremont, and West Farms.

The teen, who was not identified due to his age, was charged with assault with a weapon, menacing, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds, and harassment.

 

A student of Fordham Leadership Academy told Norwood News the slashing took place on the third floor of the building, while News 12 The Bronx reported it happened inside a second-floor stairwell.

 

Norwood News reached out to Fordham Leadership Academy to ask if metal detectors were installed at the school. The NYPD later confirmed it had. We also reached out to the New York School Safety Coalition and NYC Department of Education (DOE). We did not receive a response from the New York School Safety Coalition. We’ll share any feedback we receive from DOE.

News 12 had reported that two 14-year-olds were taken into custody amid the incident, and that a scalpel was used in the attack. Norwood News contacted the NYPD for clarification on whether it was one or two teens finally who were taken into custody. We were simply sent the original report of the incident again. We are following up and will share any further information we receive.

 

A male construction worker at the school later spoke to us about what he knew of the incident. “I saw the police in front of the school, but I don’t know what happened,” he said. “There were a lot of police in front of the school. They went inside. I work in the school, but on this side, I don’t go inside until 3 o’clock.”

 

When contacted, a New York City Department of Education (DOE) spokesperson said of the incident, “The safety of our students is our very top priority, and this senseless act of violence is unacceptable and deeply concerning. School staff and NYPD School Safety Agents immediately responded to an incident between students, following all protocols. We are grateful that no students were seriously hurt, and we are conducting a full investigation in partnership with the NYPD.” DOE added that the hospitalized student’s injuries were non-life-threatening.

For some related coverage of violence in schools and in the vicinity of schools, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced the roll-out of “first-in-the-nation” 911 rapid response technology for active shooters in New York City public schools.

 

Meanwhile, New York State recently implemented a recent cell phone ban for students during the school day.