What made high school stabbing suspect snap?
Dr. Keith Ablow weighs in on teen's attack in Pennsylvania
The attorney for the Pennsylvania high school student who police say went on a stabbing spree Wednesday may have reportedly been bullied prior to the attack.
Pat Thomassey, the attorney representing 16-year-old Alex Hribal, said his client had no prior history of violence and found evidence he had faced "bullying events," WTAE.com reported.
"I think a lot of things have happened," he told the station. "I don’t want to comment specifically, but I think there are some things that occurred that led to where we are today."
Hribal is accused of stabbing 21 students and a security guard in the attack at Franklin Regional High School. Eight students remained hospitalized as of Saturday, including four in critical condition.
A student at the school told WTAE.com that a fellow student posted a negative comment on Facebook about Hribal the night prior to the attack.
"He was basically just calling Alex out, called him 'rat face' and said other rude things on his post," she said. She told the station that the post was deleted, but someone grabbed a screen shot and handed it over to police.
Murrysville Police have not officially specified a possible motive in the attack and, at least initially, said it did not appear the boy was the target of bullying.
Hribal, a sophomore at the school, was charged with four counts of attempted homicide, 21 counts of aggravated assault and one count of possessing a prohibited weapon on school property, according to a criminal complaint released by Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck.
Police said investigators were checking reports of a threatening phone call between Hribal and another student the night before. He didn't say whether the suspect received or made the call.
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