A 13-year-old California boy was arrested Saturday in the stabbing death of a 14-year-old high school student, KTTV reports.
The suspect, who police say may be a gang member, was arrested at his Los Angeles home and booked for suspicion of murder at the sheriff’s East Los Angeles station.
The names of the victim and alleged murderer have not been released, but KTTV reported that family members have told reporters that the victim was Steven Cruz, a student at Garfield High School.
Cruz was stabbed with scissors by another boy Friday as he stood outside Griffith Middle School immediately after classes let out for the day. Cruz reportedly stopped by the middle school to see friends. The suspect allegedly asked Cruz where he was from, a common tactic by gang members to determine gang affiliation, then stabbed him in the torso, according to KTTV.
Firefighters responded to the scene at about 3:08 p.m. and took the stabbed youth to County-USC Medical Center, according to a Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatcher. The boy was declared dead at the hospital.
The school was locked down after the stabbing, and students were released to their parents in the auditorium.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
