BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo police announced an 18-year-old male student was stabbed outside of Riverside High School around 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
According to police, the student was transported to ECMC where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released.
On Thursday, the Erie County District Attorney's Office announced that 19-year-old Makai Cook of Buffalo was arraigned in Buffalo City Court on one count of second-degree assault, one count of second-degree menacing, one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count of trespass.
Cook, who was not a student at the school, allegedly stabbed the victim with a box cutter and fled but was arrested a short time later. He is scheduled to return on October 10 for a felony hearing and was held without bail.
A parent who spoke with 7 News reporter Yoselin Person says it breaks her heart to know that a student was stabbed outside of the school.
“Very sad and scary as a parent you never want to hear about a child being stabbed at school," says Lecandice Durham.
Durham says she has three high schoolers who attend BPS and one of them goes to the "HEAT Program" after school.
It's a program that comes with plenty of conflict resolutions and encourages the youth to stay on the right path.
“Since she has been in this program she not only opens up to the staff at the HEAT Program," she says. "But I do feel like our relationship also got better.”
That program is in Riverside High School.
Program coordinator and mentor Mercedes Victoria works closely with students at the school.
She feels that more parents need to be involved too.
“The staff is really on top of it wholeheartedly like they’re not just here for a paycheck," Victoria says. "I just would like for the parents to step up a little bit more. I’m not saying that they’re not but when it comes to situations like this we have to pay attention to our children’s phones more.”
Victoria says the program runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“Nine times out of ten the kids won’t even respond to you can just read them," she says. "We work on them with attitudes and show them how to work with others as far as teamwork so we do all of those.”
Pastor James Giles founder of Peacemakers WNY says there needs to be more money invested to reduce these types of incidents.
“And this is the only way we’re going to ultimately wrap arms around it is more investment into community-based non-profit organizations that are committed to action of reduce violence and interrupt violence," he says. "Working with parents and with their children and we’ll have more programs and services for those youth.”
Police charged 19-year-old Makai Cook with one count of assault in the second degree, one count of menacing in the second degree, one count of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of trespassing.
The soccer game that was scheduled to take place at the school on Wednesday was postponed.
The district released the following statement to 7 News:
"As this type of behavior will not be tolerated, the Buffalo Public Schools are supporting the Buffalo Police Department's criminal investigation into an altercation that happened after dismissal outside of Riverside High School. According to the initial reports, there were two students involved in an altercation, and one of them allegedly slashed the other with a knife. A non-life-threatening injury was sustained by the assaulted student, who was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. It is crucial to emphasize that no one else was in danger because the suspected weapon did not enter the school. Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams has directed Crisis Prevention and Response Staff to be onsite at Riverside High School to provide support to students and staff. As this is an ongoing criminal investigation, we cannot comment further at this time.”
If you or anyone you know is interested in joining the program, you can contact Pastor Giles at 716-854-1086. Participants must be between the ages of 14 and 19.
