A Florida student allegedly went on a stabbing spree at his middle school Tuesday morning, injuring two peers and a staffer, according to authorities.
The attack unfolded around 7:20 a.m. when the student was dropped off early at Walton Middle School in DeFuniak Springs, Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson told reporters at a press conference.
The middle schooler walked directly into the bathroom and emerged less than 3 minutes later wearing a mask and wielding a sharp object, Adkinson described.
He then allegedly stabbed the first student he saw in the hallway multiple times before barging down the hall and attacking an adult female paraprofessional and a third child, police said.
The entire rampage lasted roughly 45 seconds, the sheriff explained.
The first wounded victim, who was “incapacitated” by their wounds, managed to still escape down the hallway while a teacher attempted to help them. Both wounded students were between 12 and 13 years old, cops said.
The knife-wielding suspect fled the scene and was arrested by cops near the school within seven minutes, authorities added.
The two seventh-grade students were seriously injured, with one being flown to a hospital and the other taken to another hospital trauma center, the sheriff said.
“Immediate life-saving aid was being rendered and offered to the two most seriously injured individuals,” Adkinson added.
The wounded paraprofessional, whose age was not revealed, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
The middle school was not fully open at the time, and roughly 40 students were inside when the attack occurred.
The sheriff did not immediately comment on a motive for the stabbing or whether the student had a prior history of concerning or criminal behavior. Charges for the middle schooler are pending.
There is no further risk to the public, authorities stressed.