Student Slashes Five Classmates in Indiana

Published January 14, 2015

A student carrying two hidden knives slashed five classmates Wednesday morning as they watched a Spanish class video, authorities said.

Eight Valparaiso High School (search) students were taken to the hospital, including the accused attacker, a 15-year-old freshman, Police Chief Michael Brickner said. All but one of those injured were released by Wednesday afternoon, he said. Five suffered cuts and the others complained of pain from other injuries, authorities said.

Authorities did not release any information about a possible motive for the attack, which happened as classes were starting about 8 a.m. at the school some 20 miles southeast of Gary.

Students described a struggle in a hallway and said they saw blood on the floor.

"The kid, after he stabbed them, he ran out of the room and a bunch of teachers tackled him," sophomore Clark Hogan said. "I saw the lady kick the knife down the hallway. She kicked it against the wall."

Brickner said one of the knives was a machete (search) and the other was a serrated knife. The youth accused in the attack remained in custody.

School Superintendent Michael Benway said the school does not have metal detectors but that school staffers and volunteers monitor the two doors through which the school's 2,000 students enter the building.

Brickner said that when police officers arrived, school administrators were holding the student who was accused.

The boy is an A-B student who started in the Valparaiso school system this year, Brickner said.

The uninjured students were allowed to leave school about 31/2 hours after the attack. Until then, they said, they were kept locked in their classrooms.

"The teachers wouldn't tell us what was going on," said Danielle Boer. "We were scared."

Jeni Bell, a spokeswoman for Porter hospital, said some students suffered severe cuts and one suffered a hip injury. But she said the injuries were not life-threatening.

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