Chaos erupted at Benjamin Franklin Senior High School in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles Wednesday morning when a stabbing incident triggered an emergency response from both police and firefighters. As reported by KTLA, the situation began at approximately 8:40 a.m. and involved a 20-year-old male suspect who is believed to have stabbed the victim on school grounds before fleeing into a nearby neighborhood. The victim, who reportedly sustained a stab wound to the face, had been identified by the time authorities were called.
An aerial video acquired by Sky5 showed several police units at the scene, conducting their investigation into the incident - their presence still noticeable at 9:30 a.m., as ped KTLA. This violent event coincided, disturbingly close in time, with a separate situation where a bomb threat was reported, putting Stella High Charter Academy and Middle College High School, also in Los Angeles, on lockdown. Meanwhile, an effort by law enforcement to swiftly apprehend the suspect eventually led to a suspect being taken into custody shortly after the stabbing.
Details on the victim's condition were not immediately forthcoming. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department disclosed to NBC Los Angeles that the victim's condition was not known at the time of their reporting. Counseling services will be available for students and staff affected by the stabbing.
Police have yet to determine if the victim has any direct connection to Franklin High School, or what motivated the stabbing, as mentioned in a CBS News Los Angeles report.
