Officials: Utah teen stabs 5 students, self in high school locker room
OREM, Utah -- A 16-year-old Utah student is in custody after allegedly stabbing five other students in the boy’s locker room at his high school Tuesday morning and then stabbing himself, according to the Alpine School District.
Orem police department’s Lt. Craig Martinez told reporters on Tuesday each victim was stabbed at least once at Mountain View High school and their conditions range from critical to fair.
Police aren’t releasing the name of the suspect or victims, citing their ages. The five are expected to survive.
The city’s police chief Gary Giles credited school staff, fire officials and the school resource officer for stopping what he said could have been further injuries.
Martinez says the stabbing happened in the gym area shortly before 8 a.m. in Orem, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.
The teen was taken into custody by the school resource officer after suffering what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound to the neck, Giles said.
Officials said the alleged attacker is a new student who had previously been home schooled.
The school was put on lockdown after the stabbing, but students were not sent home.
Police in Utah have posted a letter online that they say is from the parents of the suspect.
The letter says none of the victims had done anything to hurt their son.
Orem police posted a picture of the hand-written letter on its official Twitter account Tuesday. It says the stabbings weren’t racially or ethnically motivated and that the parents cannot express how sorry they are for the pain their son caused.
