Dyersburg student brings knife to school, sticks five classmates
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/2NYHTBMAVZF2VHKS4DCKM6MVTQ.jpg)
(WMC-TV) - A 13-year-old Dyersburg Middle School student was arrested Friday after sticking five classmates with a knife.
Investigators said the student was taken into custody around 7:30 a.m. after bringing a knife to school and sticking three 12-year-olds and two 13-year-olds.
"It got me right there and then it spreaded," described 14 year-old Haley Burns of her wounds. "My side right here and then my finger," she added.
Burns was not seriously injured, but was shaken up.
"Cause I wouldn't date him," said Burns.
Dyersburg Police say a resource officer assigned to the school was alerted by a teacher of a student that was armed with a knife and had stuck other students with the knife.
Fortunately, none of them required immediate medical attention. But police say each victim was threatened if they told.
"Said that if I snitch on him he's gonna kill me and he knows where I live and stuff like that," said Burns.
"I don't think we are doing a good job of taking care of the weapon problem at the school," said Haley mother, Tiffany Barrett.
Several parents said first heard of the incident on Action News 5 and not in a note from the school.
"It's scary to think something like that happens at a middle school especially," said parent Jennifer Reynolds. "You hope they're safe but I guess you just never really know," she added.
Police charged the 13 year-old suspect with five counts of aggravated assault and for possession of a weapon on school property. They say the pocket knife used in the attack was recovered in a restroom. The 13 year-old was released because of overcrowding at the juvenile detention center in Dyersburg. Under state law, he faces a 180 suspension from school.
Copyright 2011 WMC-TV. All rights reserved.