BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo police now say a 14-year-old student was stabbed and a security guard was shot at McKinley High School, Wednesday afternoon.
Police now say the student is out of surgery and is recovering.
Investigators say the shooting happened around 3:45 p.m. Wednesday at the south side of the building at the end of a walkway by the parking lot.
According to police, a dispute occurred between multiple people and an individual pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots.
The victims
The male student who was stabbed was taken to Oishei Children's Hospital and required surgery.
During surgery, investigators determined that the student was stabbed after initially reporting the student was shot.
As of Friday, the student's condition was called "stable" by police. Erie County District Attorney John Flynn says the boy was stabbed ten times— nine times in the chest and abdomen and one time in the leg.
The student who was the victim of violence at McKinley High School today is in stable condition and is being closely monitored. Surgeons were able to determine that he was stabbed multiple times. He was not shot, which was what first responders at the scene initially believed.
— Byron W. Brown (@MayorByronBrown) February 10, 2022
The second victim was a security guard, who police said was shot in the leg and taken to Erie County Medical Center with "non-life-threatening" injuries.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown released an update Wednesday evening saying the security officer has been treated and released and is expected to make a full recovery.
BPD: A security guard and student were shot shortly after 3pm today. The male student has gone to Children’s Hospital. No word on condition. The security guard has been shot in the leg. He is at ECMC. @WKBW
— Olivia Proia (@OliviaProia) February 9, 2022
On Friday morning, police announced a third victim had been discovered. A 13-year-old boy, also a student, was grazed by a bullet on the side. The student sought medical treatment the day after the incident, on Thursday. Investigators say they will be sitting down with the child and his parents to hear what he saw.
Timeline
School was dismissed for the day around 3:25 p.m. but about 100 students remained in the building for after school activities when the shooting and stabbing occurred and the school was placed in lockdown.
Around 6:20 p.m. the students remained in the building, but the building was cleared and police said everyone in the building was safe.
The lockdown was shifted to a shelter in place and school officials were facilitating getting the students out of the school and reuniting them with parents.
Spoke with two sets of parents waiting for their children who are inside the school. Both say their children are ok. One told me his 11th grade daughter is with a group of of students huddled in the cafeteria awaiting further instruction. @wkbw
— Jeff Russo (@JeffRussoWKBW) February 9, 2022
As of around the same time, police said no one was in custody and there were several resources in the area working to investigate and identify a suspect.
There was not believed to be an immediate threat in the area.
A shelter in place was also issued for nearby Buffalo State College and it was lifted around 6:30 p.m. Evening classes at Buffalo State College have been canceled for Wednesday due to the shooting.
Buffalo police are advising people to avoid Elmwood Avenue between the 198 and Amherst Street.
Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash says McKinley High School will go remote for the next three days due to the shooting.
Parent Markiel Hall was anxiously awaiting for his son to be released from the school Wednesday evening.
Haul tells 7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley, his son, a junior, called to tell him there was a shooting right outside the school and he had to go back inside the school building.
Hall says he was terrified to learn his son was inside after the shooting.
“I spoke to a teacher that was with him. She was terrified, so I know my son was upset because they said they had to be quiet and they had to wait for the swat team to come in there and take care of things. It's nasty,” Hall replied.
His son was among the 100-students who had to remain inside the school building Wednesday.
Hall says police would not give parents answers at the scene and he did not receive any information from the city school district.
“What goes through your mind, as a Buffalo School parent, when hear something like this and your child now involved waiting inside to be released?” Buckley asked. “I never thought this could happen,” responded Hall.
He then called his son to check in while he was still inside the school as we were able to listen. anxiously awaiting his son's release from the school building.
“Did they say anything about you leaving?” Hall asked his son. “No. Not yet,” replied his son.
The student said authorities were checking student book backs.
You can watch an update from around 6:15 p.m. below.
You can watch a police update from around 5:20 p.m. below.
You can watch video from the scene from around 4:30 p.m. below.
A violent incident occurred outside McKinley high school at or around dismissal time today. One student and one security officer were wounded. The Buffalo Police Department was on the scene immediately with all of their considerable resources applied to manage the scene and investigate the incident. We are grateful to Mayor Byron Brown and the BPD, the State Police, the Sheriff's Department, and the FBI for their extraordinary partnership. Our thoughts and prayers are with the student, the security officer, their families, and the entire McKinley school community at this time. Follow-up information regarding the incident will come from the BPD. The school district will place McKinley High School into a remote learning environment through the end of the week (2/10 - 2/11) to provide online counseling and other socioemotional supports while we continue building out a comprehensive plan to re-open the school. Grief counseling and online SEL teaching resources will be provided to all students, parents, and teachers of the BPS anticipating the trauma this incident has had on all of us. Together, we will help each other through.
What's next
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection to the stabbing. He has been charged with attempted murder. On Friday morning, investigators announced they were still looking for others involved, including a gunman.
