A stabbing occurred Thursday at a Chicago high school that teaches children with behavioral and emotional needs, according to officials. One of the victims died and another victim had to be hospitalized.
The stabbings occurred around 7:30 a.m. as the students entered AMIkids Infinity Chicago, which is on the far South Side of the city. The stabbings also occurred prior to the students reaching the security checkpoint. A third person involved in the incident was detained by police officers following the stabbings.
The victim in the hospital did not suffer injuries that are thought to be life threatening, according to Sherri Ulleg, who is the spokesperson for AMIkids Inc. The company privately runs the school and is based in Florida.
Ulleg said that the school has a security checkpoint where students are checked with a wand metal detector held in the hand of the security officers. Those working at the school must also go through training for conflict resolution.
Frank Shuftan, a spokesman for the district, said that AMIkids Inc. has a contract with public schools in Chicago. The company helps close to 20 students who suffer from emotional and behavioral problems.
“Kids who come to us, for the majority, are emotionally or learning disabled, and those kids have not been successful in public school,” Ulleg said.
Ulleg also said that students in the Chicago Public School District are usually expelled or suspended for a lengthy time period. She also said that they have to stay at the school until they graduate or transition back into the public school. Thursday all classes were cancelled but they will begin again on Friday. There will be counselors at the school on Friday for the staff members and the students, according to Ulleg.
“Our hearts go out to the families of the kids involved, and our students who treat each other like family,” she said.