SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. — School officials say a 19-year-old student at the Southbridge Academy, a grades 9-12 therapeutic day school, began to make threatening statements and arguing with a classmate.
A teacher tried to intervene by wedging herself between the two students. The 19-year-old student then picked up a pair of scissors and threw them, according to school superintendent Jeffrey Villar.
The scissors hit a 17-year-old student’s thigh, causing a “severe” wound that required the injured student to be rushed to a nearby hospital. Their injuries are considered non-life-threatening, according to Villar.
The 19-year-old student who threw the scissors was stopped by a detective a short distance from the school, said Villar.
“While this was an isolated event, the severity and potential consequences of such actions are extremely disturbing,” Villar said in a statement. “Such acts of reckless violence have no place in our society and never in our schools. I am grateful for the quick response from our classroom teacher, the Southbridge Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Technicians, who, along with the Southbridge Academy Administration, prioritized the wellbeing of our students during this difficult event.”
The 19-year-old student is facing charges of assault & battery with a dangerous weapon and with threat of dangerous items or hijack (causing serious disruption of a school), according to Southbridge police.
All students at Southbridge Academy are special education students with individualized education plans, according to Villar.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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