Authorities arrested an 18-year-old student on Monday after he was accused of stabbing a staff member several times at a charter school in Massachusetts, WFXT reported.
Around 10 a.m., officers found the staff member with multiple stab wounds at the KIPP Academy, a charter school in Lynn that serves students in grades 9-12, according to WFXT. The victim was taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, the news station reported.
Police arrested Larnel Jean Eustache after a brief chase, according to WFXT. He faces charges including assault with intent to murder and assault with a dangerous weapon.
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It was not immediately clear what led up to the stabbing. School officials said in a letter sent home to parents that they immediately contacted authorities after learning of the incident and locked the campus down, WFXT reported.
“The safety of our students and staff is our number one priority,” Principal Shauna-Kaye Clarke said, according to the news station. “Our focus at this time is on supporting our community; we are mobilizing counseling and additional support services for students, faculty, and staff today and will continue to provide information on accessing these supports and ensuring access remains available in the days ahead.”
The principal added that there was no known outstanding threat posed by the incident.
In a statement obtained by the news station,
Mayor Jared Nichol said in a statement obtained by WFXT that officials were “deeply saddened and concerned by the incident.”
“Our thoughts are with the injured person as well as the entire KIPP community, and the City is here to provide any support that we can,” he said.
There are 500 students enrolled at the KIPP Academy, according to WFXT. Authorities continue to investigate.