A Utah high school stabbing in a locker room sent six students to the hospital on Tuesday, including the suspected stabber who plunged the knife into his neck before being cornered and Tasered by a security officer.
Five male students were stabbed by one of their classmates in the boy’s locker room before gym class at Mountain View High School in Orem, reported The Associated Press.
One of the victims was released from the hospital, but the other four remain hospitalized with two in critical condition, according to Utah Valley Hospital spokeswoman Janet Frank.
The 16-year-old suspect was in police custody after being released from the hospital, said the AP. His identity hasn't been released.
Orem Police Lt. Craig Martinez told reporters the suspect’s motive remains unclear. Each victim was stabbed at least once, he said, and the wounds were in the neck and upper torso.
“We believe this had nothing to do with race, religion or ethnicity,” the Orem Police Department said in a statement, according to the New York Daily News. “The suspect had not been bullied by any of the victims, this was not retaliatory.”
The school went into lockdown after the stabbing, and Orem police were called to the scene at about 8 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Orem Police Chief Gary Giles said employees at the school cornered the suspect as they waited for police to arrive. The suspect was said to have a six-inch knife in his possession when he was subdued by a Taser by a school resource officer, Fox News reported.
The suspect is currently being held at the Slate Canyon Detention Center.
According to school officials, the attacker was a straight-A student and had recently joined the school after being homeschooled.
Despite his success in the classroom, he was suspended earlier in the school year, but the reason for the suspension has not been made public, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, whose children attend the school, offered his condolences.
“It’s a community close to our hearts,” he tweeted. “My prayers are with the students and staff.”
Orem police received a statement from the suspect’s family following the incident.
“We express our deepest condolences to the five boys who were harmed at Mountain View High School this morning and to their families. None of the victims had done anything to hurt him. This was in no way racially or ethnically motivated. We are at a loss to express how deeply sorry we are for the pain and injury caused. Our thoughts and prayers will be with the boys and their families,” the statement said, per the New York Daily News.
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