MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 10-year-old girl was stabbed in the back by her 11-year-old classmate at a Memphis school on Friday morning.
Memphis Police say officers responded to Hamilton K-8 School around 11 a.m. Friday after the student was stabbed with a kitchen knife during lunch, Fox reports. The victim was taken to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital with non-critical injuries and the suspect was taken into police custody.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools spokesman Jermaine Johnson says the stabbing was the result of a social media argument that lasted over a week, according to Action News 5.
The 11-year-old suspect told police that she and the 10-year-old victim had argued over the phone the day before and that the girl threatened to jump her with her friends. The suspect, feeling threatened, told police she brought a kitchen knife from home for protection. The two students reportedly continued to argue during class Friday morning and the dispute carried over into the cafeteria where the stabbing occurred.
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The victim’s mother, Jennifer Williams, told WREG that her daughter was the one being bullied because she has an Android phone rather than an iPhone. She says the school should be doing more to prevent weapons from entering the school.
“My daughter just got stabbed up today in her back with a steak knife,” said Williams. “The kids are running the school, because how else can you get a steak knife in here?”
Memphis-Shelby County Schools released a statement urging parents to play an active role in monitoring their children.
“We kindly remind parents to check their child’s backpack daily and monitor their social media activity,” the statement said. “The safety and security of students and staff remain our top priority.”
