Henrico HS student in critical condition after being stabbed at school

A student from Henrico High School is fighting for his life at a hospital after being stabbed by another student during an altercation at the school Wednesday afternoon.

The incident happened just before 12:30 p.m., according to Henrico Police, who said that the school’s resource officer was first on scene and found both teens with injuries. The other teen was taken to a different hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Video posted on social media appeared to show the victim lying on his back on a blood-stained sidewalk outside a classroom at the campus-style school, with a first-responder providing care as a group of school and police officials surrounded the victim. Dozens of student onlookers lined the sidewalk nearby, some screaming.

"We understand the concern many parents may have regarding this incident," said Henrico Chief of Police Eric D. English. "Please know we will work as quickly and thoroughly as possible to determine what led up to this incident. The safety and security of our students and administrators is our top priority."

Police deemed the incident to be an isolated one and said there was no ongoing threat to the community. The school was placed on lockdown briefly after the incident, then entered a "lock-and-teach" mode, during which students are not permitted to leave their classrooms without an escort. Parents were advised not to pick up their children early.

Because the incident occurred during lunchtime, a number of students were not able to eat as they normally would, so school system officials handed out boxed lunches to classrooms, a Henrico High School staff member told the Citizen.

– Citizen Education Reporter Liana Hardy contributed to this article, which will be updated as more information becomes available.