A local 15-year-old male has been accused of stabbing his younger brother and sister at the playground at Oak Park Elementary on Monday night.
Hatfield Township Police were dispatched to the intersection of Squirrel Lane and Pine Street at 5:20 p.m. on Feb. 22 for a report of a stabbing victim. Upon arrival, police located two victims near the playground, one who was stabbed multiple times in the head, according to the dispatch notes.
Initial reports indicated the victims were aged 15 and 13 years old, however Hatfield Township Police Chief William Tierney would later confirm North Penn Now’s report that the suspect was 15 years old and the victims were a 13-year-old male and a 9-year-old female.
Both victims were transported from the scene via ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital, with the male being listed in critical condition as a class-one trauma victim and the female being listed as a class-two trauma victim.
Lansdale Police confirmed the suspect, whose name is being withheld due to being a juvenile, was detained a short time later at his home in the borough. Lansdale Police added that they were assisting with the investigation, and asked the community to keep the victims’ family in their thoughts and prayers.
Later in the evening, North Penn Now received corroborating information from sources familiar with the investigation stating that the suspect was the brother of the victims.
A short time later, Hatfield Township Police provided the following statement:
On February 22, 2021 at approximately 5:20 PM, Hatfield Township Police Officers responded to the Oak Park Elementary School located at 500 Squirrel Lane in Hatfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania for a reported 911 call of a stabbing to the rear of the school. Officers located two victims in the area of the rear exterior playground who each suffered multiple stab wounds. Both victims are minors. They were transported by Volunteer Medical Service Corps (VMSC) to Lehigh Valley Hospital for further medical treatment.
The male subject responsible for this attack has been taken into custody by the Hatfield Township Police Department and is no longer a threat to the community. He is a minor and is not being identified at this time. This is an ongoing investigation, so no additional information is being released at this time.
It is unclear if Hatfield Police intend on releasing further information — such as charges for the accused teen or whether he will remain in custody — as law enforcement rarely releases detailed information for cases or investigations involving juveniles.
Following the release from Hatfield Township Police, North Penn School District also released a statement, which read:
This evening at approximately 5:30 pm, local police were called to Oak Park Elementary School campus due to a report of a stabbing. It was after school hours and not related to any school activity. There were no students in the building at the time, including Extended School Care who had all been picked up by then.
As of the time of this email, we are still learning details as it is an ongoing police investigation and we do not have more information to share except that the suspect is in custody.
Tragic events such as this are always upsetting. I want to assure you that the safety of the Oak Park community is our number one priority. Thank you to our local police and NPSD security who responded swiftly to this evening’s events.
Chief Tierney reiterated late Monday night that the suspect was in custody and there was no threat to the public. An updated condition for the two victims was not readily available at the time of publishing.
See also:
2 Teens Stabbed While At Playground At Oak Park Elementary
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