A 17-year-old learner at Fumane Secondary School was arrested after he was accused of stabbing and intimidating other learners.
According to EMPD Senior Supt Wilfred Kgasago, the arrested learner’s reign of terror at the school started on October 9 when the suspect stabbed three schoolmates outside the schoolyard.
Two of the learners sustained serious injuries which necessitated medical attention at a medical facility.
Kathorus MAIL later gathered the suspect allegedly brandished the weapon regularly and threatened fellow schoolmates.
At the time of going to press, it had not yet been established if the learner was part of a school gang or if he was acting alone.
“Seemingly, the dangerous actions of the learner were never reported to the school authorities until October 22.
“Things reached a climax that same Monday at around 1.30pm when five boys came running into the principal’s office seeking refuge from the suspect,” said Kgasago, who added that this prompted one of the teachers to alert the EMPD at the Thokoza precinct for help.
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“Two EMPD officers rushed to the school and, with the assistance of the school’s security, they managed to arrest the armed learner who tried to escape by scaling the school perimeter fence”, explained Kgasago.
Three of the learner’s victims sustained injuries in the upper arm, back and buttocks. The suspect claimed he had acted in self-defence as word was going around that certain boys wanted to beat him up.
The suspect was handcuffed and detained at Katlehong Police Station on charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, intimidation, assault as well as attempted murder.
He made a brief court appearance in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on October 23.
The case was postponed, pending further investigations by the police.
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