14-Year-Old Girl Arrested After Stabbing Teacher and Two Pupils at Manchester Co-op Academy
A 14-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault after she stabbed a 27-year-old teacher in the neck and injured two fellow 14-year-old pupils at Co-op Academy in Blackley, Manchester, at around 08:30 BST on June 9. All three victims were taken to hospital in stable condition with injuries not believed to be serious; school staff detained the suspect before police arrived. The school closed for the day and will reopen Wednesday; Greater Manchester Police said there is no wider threat to the public.
Police were called at around 08:30 BST on June 9 to reports of multiple stabbings at Co-op Academy on Plant Hill Road in Blackley, Manchester. A 14-year-old girl, a fellow pupil at the school, was arrested on suspicion of section 18 grievous bodily harm assault. The victims -- a 27-year-old male teacher, a 14-year-old boy, and a 14-year-old girl -- were taken to hospital in a stable condition with injuries not believed to be serious. The teacher was stabbed in the neck; the boy sustained an ear injury and the girl a shoulder injury.
Co-op Academy said the site was immediately placed on lockdown and that staff "acted bravely to quickly detain the student" before officers arrived. A school spokeswoman said staff "had no reason to conduct a search on any student this morning" and acknowledged that "weapons can unfortunately be small and easily concealed without prior indicators." Chief Inspector Jon Shilvock of Greater Manchester Police said the incident was "swiftly and quickly dealt with by staff" and confirmed there was "no wider threat to the public." Police officers were set to maintain a visible presence in the area.
The school, which closed on June 9, is scheduled to reopen as normal on Wednesday. Parents who gathered outside the gates described the incident as "terrifying" and said it raised their concerns about knife safety; Abel Lemos, whose daughter is in year seven, said knife incidents at schools "have become common on the news in the last few years." The school said "full emotional support" would be in place for pupils on return.
The attack followed a crossbow assault on a University of Surrey campus safety officer on June 4, the second weapons-related incident at a British educational institution within the week.