Minnesota Boy, 8, Allegedly Brings Knife To School And Slashes Three Students

Police officials in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, are conducting an investigation after an 8-year-old boy allegedly brought a kitchen knife to school and injured three students before classes started. CBS Minnesota reported that around 7:15 a.m. on Monday, police received a 911 call from administrators at Pleasantview Elementary School.

It was reported that a second-grader took a knife out of his backpack and slashed three students in the hall before walking to the front office, on his own, and handing over the knife.

At the time of the attack, police say the victims, who are in the first, fourth, and seventh grade, were waiting in the hall to be transferred to another school. The children’s parents opted to take the victims to St. Cloud Hospital. They suffered minor injuries during the knife attack, which lasted about five minutes.

Two of the students were cut in the back of the head and need stitches, officials say.

Police are unsure why the suspect came to Pleasantview Elementary School with a knife, but the attack appears to be random, according to Sauk Rapids Police Chief Perry Beise. He went on to say that he doesn’t “think he had an intended target when he came to school with the knife.”

The school district said they sent an email to parents, which stated that when situations like that occur, administrators apply the school district’s policy. The email also added that aggressive students will not be allowed in the building.

Some parents were shaken up after learning about the ordeal, while others were furious about the way the school responded to the knife attack. Chandler Murphy argued that he never received an email from the school, saying that “they took no effort to inform me or my wife.”

Murphy has a son in kindergarten at the school and said he and his wife checked their email and there was nothing, adding, “I know for a fact that they have my contact information because they called me the other day about my son having a cold.”

“I’m infuriated,” Murphy said, “that they would take it upon themselves to decide that this isn’t a big enough thing to send kids home.”

Another parent, Jessica Bryant, said she didn’t receive the email from the school until four hours after the attack.

“I am very upset I received a vague email four hours after the fact,” she said. “I understand waiting until everything is secure, but in instances like this, parents should be notified sooner.”

Pleasantview Elementary School officials say they are unsure which students witnessed the knife attack since it happened in the hall. Counselors were at the school for anyone who needed it.

The suspect was held in the school office until officers arrived. The student was then transported to the Sauk Rapids police station, where he was released to his parents after questioning. In the state of Minnesota, children under the age of 10 cannot be criminally charged.

Sauk Rapids Police said there is not much more to investigate. The case will be forwarded to the Benton County Attorney’s Office.

The parents of the alleged knife-wielding student will not face any criminal charges, police say.