TACOMA, Wash. — Court records obtained by KIRO 7 reveal disturbing details of a stabbing that injured six people at Tacoma’s Foss High School as local leaders offer their reactions.
According to the documents, one of the students who was stabbed required surgery to remove part of his lung.
Waleed Essakhi, the 16-year-old student accused of the stabbing that injured himself, a school security guard, and four classmates, made his first court appearance on Friday. He is charged as an adult with four counts of first-degree assault.
The stabbing took place in a hallway at Foss High School around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. Before the incident, Essakhi allegedly stole a vape from another student. That student then reportedly asked some of the victims to confront Essakhi about the theft.
According to charging documents, one student was stabbed in the back. Another was reportedly stabbed in the chest and abdomen and cut on his arm.
Investigators said a third student’s arm was cut so severely that he needed surgery.
A fourth student was reportedly stabbed in the chest and required surgery to remove part of his lung.
In addition, police said Essakhi cut himself on the leg and cut a security guard on the arm.
Essakhi’s mother reportedly told police her son transferred to Foss after fighting at his last school. According to police, he used a belt as a weapon during one of those incidents.
Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello released the following statement on the stabbing:
“Five students and a security guard were injured yesterday in a stabbing at Foss High School. Our community is so grateful for the Tacoma firefighters and police officers who responded swiftly to this incident.
While we are all relieved to hear that the victims are on the mend, my heart aches for them, their families, classmates, teachers, and everyone in our community who is affected by this shocking act of violence. Violence has no place in our schools. We have more work to do together as a nation, state and community to ensure our schools are safe.”
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Superintendent Josh Garcia of Tacoma Public Schools released the following statement:
“Yesterday, there was a traumatic event at Foss High School involving students and staff. The school went into a lockdown immediately due to an altercation with students that escalated, resulting in injuries to five students and one staff member. This is an ongoing investigation led by the Tacoma Police Department. We will continue to work closely with them, and we appreciate their dedication to our schools and community.
I want to express deep gratitude to the Foss staff who intervened and de-escalated the situation. I’m also grateful to all the Foss staff, staff from across Tacoma Public Schools and our students, who followed emergency protocols to maintain safety and order. We practice and prepare for situations that no one should have to experience, but we do it knowing that it saves lives.
Thank you to our first responders for their quick action and professionalism. When 911 is called, our team works directly with first responders to keep everyone safe and communicate with families and staff as soon as possible.
I ask that our students, staff and community check in with each other. Tacoma is a big small town, and connections run deep. Someone you know is likely impacted by this event, and it takes compassion and courage from you to ask how they’re doing. Let’s be good to each other. For those who are directly impacted, please take care of yourself. Use the resources available, and don’t hesitate to ask for support.
Details about this incident will inevitably be shared through social media and other media outlets. Many will make statements about violence and safety in our community. Please pause and remember that this is a moment in the lives of our students and staff that they will never forget and need to process. Give them time to have these conversations with trusted adults and professionals. Please know that we will only share facts as we know them and we will work directly with law enforcement and the Foss community to provide updates as we are able to.
We have outstanding staff in many roles that will help students moving forward. They will be at Foss on Monday, May 4.
Additionally, our community has resources for those who need them:
It is not lost on me that this event will have an ongoing impact for all of us. Please remember to report any rumors or acts of violence to our local law enforcement. Please remember to access community resources to support yourselves and our community members.”
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