Students hurt in Foss High School stabbings needed surgery, court documents show

A student injured in the stabbings Thursday at Foss High School in Tacoma had to have a portion of his lung removed while another needed surgery for the wounds on his arm.

The stabbings that left six injured, including a security guard, stemmed from a fight among students that was stopped by school staff. The 16-year-old student suspected of the stabbing was arrested on five counts of first-degree assault and was taken into custody at the Remann Hall Pierce County Juvenile Detention Center, Tacoma police spokesperson Shelbie Boyd said Friday. The student suffered minor injuries.

"There was an active fight" that preceded the stabbing, Boyd said. There was "pretty limited information" about the circumstances of the stabbing on Thursday, she said.

Tacoma police responded to 911 calls reporting a stabbing in the cafeteria and a school hallway, according to court documents. The security guard who was later injured told police he rushed over from the principal's office when he heard a call for assistance.

Surveillance video footage showed the four students who were later stabbed surrounding the 16-year-old who appeared to be trying to provoke them to hit him, police said in court documents. The 16-year-old and another student lunged at the same time, but the 16-year-old was armed with a knife.

During the fight, the first student who the 16-year-old lunged at was stabbed in his chest and needed a portion of his lung removed. One student was sliced and stabbed several times, another was cut on his forearm deep enough to need surgery and another was stabbed in the back.

The security guard was cut in the arm while breaking up the fight, according to court documents. He disarmed the boy and escorted him to the principal's office. He didn't believe the 16-year-old cut him on purpose and told police the boy apologized afterward.

The Pierce County prosecuting attorney's office is only pursuing four counts of first-degree assault against the 16-year-old, according to court documents, one for each of the students but not for the security guard.

The boy's mother told police she'd heard the fight was over a vape pen, echoing reports the students gave to police who interviewed them at the hospital, according to court documents.

The mother said the 16-year-old had access to her older son's wood-handled folding pocketknife, which matched the knife recovered at the scene, police said in court documents.

All six of those injured were taken to hospitals and were in stable condition as of 8 a.m. Friday, Boyd said. The four students who were stabbed had serious injuries, and the security guard had minor injuries.

"Schools are supposed to be sacred spaces, free from violence, where students can focus on learning, engaging with their peers and educators and pursuing their interests and goals," state Superintendent Chris Reykdal said in a statement Friday.

"Too often in this country, we see the sacred learning environment disrupted due to violence," he said.

The incident could have been "so much worse, had it not been for the quick actions" of school staff, Boyd said.

A paraprofessional saw the active fight and jumped in before they were joined by teachers, the security guard and other staff who broke up the students, Boyd said. The adults separated the students and got them help.

"Tacoma Public Schools has demonstrated a clear focus on preparedness, coordination, student protection, and a commitment to maintaining safe and secure school communities," Reykdal said.

School was closed and after-school events canceled Friday, but students will return to school Monday, Foss High School officials said in an alert on the school's website.

There are two security guards working full time at each of the high schools in Tacoma, Boyd said. There are also eight district patrol officers, and Tacoma police respond to schools as needed.

She urged students, "if they see something brewing," to speak up and tell a staff member, call 911, or talk to a counselor. "They're the ones who are going to stop this from happening - they're the ones with inside knowledge."

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