Two teens were hospitalized on Wednesday, Feb. 11, after one was slashed and one was stabbed in the Kingsbridge Heights section of The Bronx, police said.

 

An NYPD spokesperson said that on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at around 2.49 p.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding two males who had been assaulted in front of 2897 Sedgwick Avenue, within the confines of the 50th Precinct. The address is that of Peter’s Deli which is located next to the side of Marie Curie High School. A number of other businesses are located nearby.

 

“Upon arrival officers observed a 16-year-old male with a slash wound to the left side of the neck, and a 14-year-old male with a stab wound to the abdomen,” a spokesperson said. “EMS responded and transported both victims to St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition. There are no arrests, and the investigation remains ongoing.”

Norwood News reached out to NYC Department of Education for comment on the incident and we were referred to the NYPD. We’ve asked the NYPD if the victims were students. We will share any updates we receive.

 

Later the same day, as reported, a group of teens were shot, one, Christopher Redding, 16, fatally, at West 238th Street and Broadway in nearby Kingsbridge. Norwood News asked the NYPD if both incidents were linked. We did not receive an immediate response.

 

It’s possible a security camera affixed to Sedgwick supermarket on Sedgwick Avenue located near to and facing Marie Curie High School may have captured the assault since one person told us it took place in front of the side entrance to the school and not in front of the deli.

 

Norwood News spoke to a manager at the supermarket on Saturday, Feb. 14, but he did not have access to view the camera and suggested we return when the owner was available.

Norwood News will share any further updates we receive. Several other business owners / employees in the area said they had either been absent on the day of the incident or had been inside working and had not seen what happened. One man in Peter’s Deli, located next door to the school, said his deli had been full with students around the time the incident occurred and he was busy serving them.

 

We also spoke to some locals, including “Ashley,” a female resident about the incident. “I’m concerned because this has never happened so close to home like this,” Ashley said. “Now, the issue is…. I saw the Youth Police outside.” We asked if she was referring to school safety agents and she said no, youth officers that are part of the NYPD responding teams that she said typically come to the area for a while after similar security incidents.

 

“Just the presence – it’s welcoming,” Ashley said. “And it’s like, damn, I get it; you’re here. Something happened so they don’t do nothing They’re outside and like these people….just patrolling. They’re literally in their car, parked, over here. I’m in favor of that.”

Asked if she thought they leave too soon after such incidents, Ashley said, “I’m in the middle of it because if you go further up to Kingsbridge, they stay for a long time but these are kids, we don’t want that for a long time. Just let them know that they’re here and then the school administration should take care of it, tap in with them, ‘Hey Guys.’ Have somebody go in and speak with them. Long term planning.. Mental health is serious and a lot of the kids, you know, they’re defiant or whatever the case is because of the environment that they’re in.”

 

Ashley continued, “What is the school going to do because a lot of the kids are not going to speak up? You get the grief counselors right away.. ok whatever but in a year from now, we need to tap in and we need to ask, ‘Ok, are you guys good, cause this is not something that happens? You guys are witnesses. You guys ran for your lives. This was on the news. Now, there was police outside of your school’.'”

 

She continued, “And we kind of just see this is as a moment thing…..maybe the presence will die down a bit and then the kids forget about it but no…and these teachers have been here for decades. They’ve seen.. this has NEVER happened, so I really hope that they just talk to the kids and let them know that we’re here for them. The adults are here.”

Asked if she knew if the perpetrators were students at the school, Ashley said, “I’m not sure but they have to have been. Nobody else really comes out here.” Norwood News mentioned what another local person said about other young people / students coming from other areas to the Marie Curie School to mix with students at the school.

 

Ashley continued, “Yeah, ’cause it’s maybe gang related or something. We all need community out here. They gravitate towards gangs for community and it works out sometimes but it depends on who the influence is coming from, so maybe they weren’t from the school and they just came. Yeah, I don’t think somebody from the school would have a weapon on them, just ’cause they’re really innocent.”

 

We asked Ashley if she knew if there were metal detectors in place at the Marie Curie school. She said, “I don’t know if they do and it would be honestly very strange if they didn’t ’cause most of the schools do.”

 

We mentioned previous discussions Norwood News has had over the years with different Bronxites on the topic of metal detectors in schools, and arguments both for and against them, with some students sometimes feeling like prisoners in their schools, and how they sometimes end up being late for class due to having to stand in line to get through security each day.

 

Ashley replied, “”Cause they don’t see it as safety and a lot of time the schools do look like a prison if you think about it but it’s not that, it’s just…. ”  On being late for class, she added, “It’s alright. It’s alright. I did it, and I feel very well protected. This was back in 2012. I’m in favor. I’m in favor. We need protection.”

For more on the topic of youth violence and school security, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

 

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips.

 

All calls are strictly confidential.