A 13-year-old boy was stabbed dead by his fellow Grade 7 student inside a school in Quezon City on Friday morning, Jan. 20.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) said that the incident happened at around 5:45 a.m. on Friday in front of a classroom at Culiat High School on Tandang Sora Avenue in Barangay Culiat in the city.
The CIDU said that the victim and the 15-year-old suspect were both Grade 7 students in the said school.
Police said the victim was inside the school’s Room 301 waiting for their class to start when the suspect appeared outside the classroom and looked for him.
As the victim went out of the classroom, the suspect suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the left part of his chest.
The suspect ran away after the incident.
The victim was rushed to New Era General Hospital but he was declared dead at around 6:20 a.m. His body was taken by his relatives for immediate burial in accordance with the Islamic tradition, police said.
The suspect was arrested by responding police and barangay public safety officers in Barangay Culiat.
The incident is still under investigation, police said.
Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte expressed sadness over the incident.
“We are extremely saddened and horrified by this incident involving two minor students of Culiat High School,” she said.
Belmonte added that she ordered concerned offices of the city government to extend the necessary assistance to the victim's family and assure that a thorough investigation will be conducted.
“The Schools Division Office is requested to review security protocols in schools and implement additional measures if warranted to avoid a repeat of such incident,” the mayor said.