FORT LEE, N.J. — A student was stabbed inside Fort Lee High School on Tuesday, prompting a full lockdown and a law enforcement response that resulted in the assailant being taken into custody, according to police.
Key Points
- A student was stabbed at Fort Lee High School and hospitalized
- The suspected assailant, another student, was taken into custody
- Lockdown protocols were lifted and school dismissed early following the incident
The Fort Lee Police Department said the incident occurred earlier in the day and that the school’s uniformed School Resource Officer was inside the building when the stabbing took place. The officer and school staff provided first aid to the juvenile victim before the student was transported to a nearby hospital and survived.
A second school, School #3, was placed into a shelter-in-place as a precaution during the investigation. Authorities did not disclose the motive for the attack or the identities of the individuals involved due to their juvenile status.
Response and investigation
Fort Lee Police Chief Matthew Hintze and command staff coordinated with Superintendent Dr. Robert Kravitz and high school officials during the incident. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office also responded to the scene to assist in the investigation.
After the initial on-scene investigation was completed in the afternoon, lockdown protocols were lifted and students were dismissed early from the high school.
Increased security measures
“There is no further threat that we are aware of at this time, and no other suspects are being sought,” police said in a statement on social media. An increased police presence is planned around the high school on Wednesday out of an abundance of caution.
Detectives from the Fort Lee Police Department continue to investigate the incident alongside the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office with the cooperation of the Fort Lee High School administration.