Missouri middle school student in custody after stabbing injures teacher, 2 students 

A middle school student is in custody after a stabbing at a school in Warrenton, Missouri, injured two students and a teacher.

First responders were called to Black Hawk Middle School Thursday morning, where police say the suspect used a knife with a 4- to 5-inch blade.

One student was flown to a children’s hospital in serious but stable condition. The other injured student, the son of Warren County Superintendent Gregg Klinginsmith, suffered minor cuts.

A teacher who threw a computer at the suspect was also taken to a hospital, treated and released.

Officers locked down the school and arrested the student suspect within a minute.

Sixth grader Willow Murray said she tried to keep her friends calm as police cleared the hallways.

“I just hear running in the halls, and I hear the police say, ‘If you’re here, show yourself,’” Murray told Fox 2 News. “I was trying to control my emotions because my friends were more scared than me and I was trying to comfort them.”

Warrenton is a rural town of roughly 9,500 about 60 miles northwest of downtown St. Louis. Its violent crime rate is considerably lower than the state and national averages.

Police Chief Casey Doyle of neighboring Truesdale – a town also served by the school district – said parents remained cooperative waiting for hours outside the school to be reunited with their children.

“Parents’ worst nightmare,” mother Toni Whitaker told Fox 2 News. “I couldn’t get a hold of my son. I’m sitting here thinking the worst. It just makes me tear up. It’s just so sad seeing their poor little faces.”

The district dismissed all schools early Thursday, and students at Black Hawk Middle School had Friday off.

Investigators have not released a motive for the stabbing.

During Thursday night’s school board meeting, Board President Jeff Schneider said everyone’s hearts were broken and thanked first responders.

“First and foremost, I think all our hearts are broken after what’s happened today,” Schneider said. “I appreciate all the support of the community, especially our law enforcement workers and our first responders who were quick to respond to the events at our middle school today.”

Klinginsmith also praised teachers, nurses and police for their quick action.

“Our hearts are broken,” he said. “It’s a terrible incident, and we wish it never would have happened. But we’re really thankful for the law enforcement’s quick action. As soon as this occurred, they had the suspect in custody within a minute. I couldn’t be more proud of the work that they did.

“I appreciate our law enforcement tremendously. And then also our staff. We had our nurses, who were outstanding. Our teachers did a great job keeping kids safe and calm. I couldn’t be more thrilled for our teaching staff and how they handled such a really terrible situation.”

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Cropped/@fox2stlouis)