Brookwood High School stabbing: Student recovering after surgery, school says
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A stabbing at Brookwood High School in Snellville sent one student to the hospital and caused another student to be led away in handcuffs.
"Violence and this type of behavior will not be tolerated at Brookwood High School," said Gwinnett County School District spokesperson Bernard Watson.
Police officers swarmed the campus just after 10 a.m. Thursday after the student was found stabbed in a bathroom.
"Administrators were walking through the hall, and they heard a commotion in the restroom. They went in, and they found a student with several injuries to his body and looked as if he had been stabbed," Watson said.
The suspect took off running from the school, officials say, but was caught about 35 minutes later in a nearby neighborhood.
Police say a knife was recovered.
Watson was unable to provide an update on the victim's condition, but did say that the school district is wishing him a speedy recovery.
Brookwood High School student recovering from stabbing
Late Thursday evening, the principal of the high school emailed parents and guardians to give an update on the student who was attacked.
The student is reported to have undergone surgery and is recovering at the hospital. He is expected to be there for a few days.
"I know you join me in wishing the young man a speedy recovery. We look forward to his return to school," Principal Brett Savage wrote in part.
Reaction to Brookwood High School student stabbing
"There were a lot of police. We have a U-shaped [driveway] at the school, and it was filled with a lot of police," said senior Brandon Bury said.
Bury says many students didn't know what happened.
"I was taking a test, and they came over the intercom, and they said there was a medical emergency, so our lunches were going to be delayed a little longer," Bury said.
Parents may be concerned as to why the campus was not placed on lockdown following the incident.
"It was not a lockdown because within minutes of the incident they had eyes of the potential suspect and were tracking him as he left the building," Watson said.
Brookwood High principal's letter to parents.
Initially, the school sent a letter to school families saying that an "injured" student was found in one of the school's bathrooms and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The letter also said that the school was "deeply concerned" for the student's well-being.
A follow-up letter from Principal Brett Savage said that a student had been stabbed, and another student was arrested.
The principal assured families in the new letter that the student accused of the attack is facing serious criminal charges and the maximum school disciplinary consequences.
The principal also assured families that Brookwood High remains a safe place.
READ FULL LETTER BELOW
Dear Brookwood High School Parents,
The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority. With that in mind, I want to update you about the troubling incident I shared with you earlier today.
One of our students has been arrested after police say he stabbed a classmate in one of our restrooms. The student who was stabbed was transported to the hospital. Because of student privacy laws, I cannot share additional information about his condition, but I know you join me in wishing the student a speedy recovery.
To be clear, what happened today is unacceptable. The student accused of attacking their classmate is facing serious criminal charges and maximum school disciplinary consequences. Violence against students and staff will not be tolerated at Brookwood High School. As is the case in this incident, those who engage in this type of behavior will face appropriate criminal charges. I want to reassure you, we are taking this situation seriously. The incident was handled promptly and thoroughly.
Despite what happened today, Brookwood High remains a safe place. We must never lose sight of the fact that the vast majority of our students follow school rules and play a critical role in keeping our school safe.
As a reminder, if you or your student sees or hears about something that is troubling and/or a threat to our school community, please let us know. You can report your concerns anonymously through "GCPS Tips," our mobile app, or through a desktop or laptop web browsers at P3Campus.com/5105. Apple users can download GCPS Tips via the "App Store." Android users can find it in "Google Play." You can also share anonymous concerns by texting 738477
As always, thank you for your continued support of our schools.
Brett Savage
Principal, Brookwood High School
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