CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A Meadowbrook High School student was hospitalized in serious, but stable condition following a stabbing at the school on Tuesday afternoon. Chesterfield Police and school officials reported that a second student was taken into custody in connection with the incident.
"Once we arrived here at the school, we immediately put the school into lockdown, and we made contact with a student again who had been stabbed. Life-saving measures were taken at that time; that student has been transported to an area hospital," Chesterfield Police Lt. Lance Turner said during a media briefing Tuesday afternoon. "There is no threat to the public at this time."
The stabbing, which occurred around 12:20 p.m., is currently under investigation, and authorities have not disclosed details about the circumstances leading up to the violent incident.
Chesterfield Schools interim superintendent Dr. John Murray praised the swift police response and assured support for students affected by the violence.
"As we think through the next steps, obviously, there will be counselors and other mental health supports available for students in the coming days," Murray said. "We will meet as a critical incident team very shortly to begin thinking through what the next steps are when the faculty meeting debrief needs to occur, family communication follow-ups, as well as those employee supports and student supports to reconcile emotional and mental health trauma that this may have caused, understandably so."
Following the resolution of the incident and the lifting of the lockdown, students were permitted to leave school early. Parents were instructed to pick up their children at nearby Meadowdale Library if they chose to do so.
School Security
Surrounding school districts such as Richmond and Henrico have previously implemented measures like weapons or metal detectors for this school year. However, Chesterfield County Public Schools, the largest school district in Central Virginia, does not.
"Right now, none of Chesterfield County Public Schools have weapons detection or metal detectors outside of large gatherings like athletic events or our graduations," Murray said. "However, we began the process a few weeks back of evaluating the appropriateness, the fiscal reasonability, as well as the logistics of being able to install weapons detection at our schools. We've observed at one site last week, senior leadership did, and we have another site visit and another neighboring county planned for this coming Friday. Unfortunately, incidents such as these support the need to put any and all safety measures in place."
CBS 6 reporter Elizabeth Holmes, who was reporting from outside the school located along the 4900 block of Cogbill Road in Chesterfield, reported at least 20 emergency vehicles parked outside.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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