SandyMaloneSauk Rapids, MN – An eight-year-old boy attacked three other students with a kitchen knife at an elementary school on Monday.
Authorities said the incident occurred before classes started at Pleasantview Elementary School at about 7:15 a.m. on April 16 when a student came to school with a knife and began randomly attacking students, the SC Times reported.
Interim Superintendent Bruce Watkins told the SC Times that the “second-grade student entered the building, put his backpack away, and pulled out a knife and struck three students.”
The superintendent said the incident continued for about five minutes before the student with the knife was stopped by “adult intervention.” Authorities did not know what had motivated the attack.
Sauk Rapids Police Chief Perry Beise said the three students who were wounded were eight, nine, and 13 years old.
Chief Beise said all three children had “superficial wounds to be stitched up,” but that there were no other injuries. All three victims were taken to CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital.
He said two of the children were taken to the hospital by their own parents, and had been treated and released.
The chief said the eight-year-old attacker was in the school counselor’s office when police arrived, The Virginian-Pilot reported. He said the child was cooperating with authorities.
Police interviewed the knife-wielding second grader and then released him into the custody of his own parents, Time reported.
The police chief said the official police report will be sent to the Benton County Attorney’s Office for potential charges, KARE reported.
However, he told also said that children that young usually weren’t charged, and that they would likely try to get him help instead, The Virginian-Pilot reported. The chief said he did not know whether the boy had any prior mental health issues or if he had been bullied.
Pleasantview Elementary School has Kindergarten through fifth grade classes, with about 790 students enrolled, the SC Times reported.
The 13-year-old who was stabbed was a seventh grade student who was waiting to catch a transfer bus at the time he was stabbed, Time reported.
Parents of students at the elementary school were notified of the incident electronically Monday morning; however, classes were not interrupted and continued as usual for the remainder of the day.
Watkins sent parents a message that explained what had happened.
“This morning we had an unfortunate incident that happened before school started. A Pleasantview primary-aged student entered the building and upon putting away his backpack, he pulled out a knife and began striking students with it,” the superintendent wrote.
“The incident took place in the hallway as students were heading to class. Currently, we are working with school support staff to identify and provide support to staff and students that may have been impacted by this incident. Mental health professionals are available on site at Pleasantview Elementary. Please know in situations like this the District’s discipline policy is applied and aggressive students are not allowed in the building(s),” the message read.