Rhode Island high school locked down after police say one student stabbed another in a bathroom

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — An East Providence High School student was stabbed by another student Thursday afternoon, prompting a campus lockdown.

A 17-year-old boy stabbed a 16-year-old boy in one of the school’s bathrooms, East Providence Police Chief Christopher Francesconi said at a press conference.

The student who was stabbed was treated at the scene and then taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital where he was in stable condition, Francesconi said.

Police said the 17-year-old boy was taken into custody. Officials did not identify the students.

Police responded to the school around 12:25 p.m. after they were contacted by the school resource officer. Franesconi said the school was already in lockdown by the time he arrived and that police were quickly able to identify the suspect.

Investigators believe the 17-year-old was the only person involved in the stabbing, Franesconi said. He said police are trying to find out what led up to the stabbing and that no larger threat exists for the public.

The school will have an increased police presence on Friday, according to school officials, who described the stabbing as an isolated incident between the two students.

Mayor Bob DaSilva praised police and school officials at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

“It breaks my heart to hear something like this happening in our community,” he said.