12-Year-Old Stabs Boy In New York City Playground, Gets Arrested

KEY POINTS

A 12-year-old stabbed another boy his age while the two were playing in a playground in New York
The injured boy was taken to a hospital and is now in stable condition, while the attacker was arrested
The stabbing happened hours after a 14-year-old boy was caught entering a Brooklyn school with a loaded gun

A 12-year-old boy in Queens, New York, was arrested after he stabbed another boy in a playground located near a public school Thursday afternoon, according to law enforcement.

The unnamed pre-teen stabbed another 12-year-old boy while the two were playing in a Parks Department-ran playground in Jamaica that was next to the Emerson School, the New York Daily News reported, citing sources.

The injured boy ran into the school building, which is also the campus for the Richard Grossley Junior High School on 167th Street, while the suspect fled.

Medics took the injured boy to Long Island Jewish Medical Center with a stab wound on his stomach. He is now in stable condition, police said.

Authorities were later able to catch the attacker and arrest him. His identity was not disclosed due to his age.

"[The] NYPD (New York Police Department) and [emergency medical services] immediately responded to this incident, which occurred off school property and after dismissal," Department of Education spokesman Nathaniel Styer was quoted as saying.

It was unclear if the attacker was charged over the incident. Details such as the weapon used by the boy in the attack or the motive behind it were also unknown.

The DOE will work together with police in their investigation into the incident, Styer noted.

The stabbing came hours after a 14-year-old boy was caught entering his Brooklyn public high school with a loaded gun in his backpack, according to another New York Daily News report.

School safety officers assigned to the Automotive High School on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg were prompted to grab the unnamed teen after a .38-caliber pistol was detected in his backpack during a screening at around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, according to police.

"School Safety Agents swiftly and safely recovered this item during screenings, ensuring that all students and staff are safe," Styer said of the incident.

All protocols were followed during the encounter. The DOE is also working together with the NYPD regarding follow-up actions.

The unnamed teen was taken into custody without incident, according to officials. Charges against him were reportedly pending.

The 14-year-old's arrest allegedly marked the ninth time a gun was seized at a New York City school since July.