A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of another teenager at Ohio State University.
Guilliani Olguin Jacinto, 19, died from his injuries following the incident at around 7.45 p.m. Friday night, which reportedly began as a fight over who could use the campus soccer field.
Prosecutors say that the 15-year-old, who has not been named due to his age, and his friends were using the field when another group including Jacinto came onto the field, WBNS reported.
During the altercation the teen allegedly produced a knife and stabbed Jacinto in the chest before fleeing the scene. He was picked up by Ohio State University police five minutes later during a traffic stop.
“While in custody, the youth voluntarily stated to the officers he brought the knife and stabbed the victim. He also admitted to disposing of the knife after the stabbing but prior to the fleeing,” lead prosecutor Lukas Bachus said.
Prosecutors have asked that the teenager be tried as an adult. He is currently being held at a juvenile detention center before his next court appearance, according to WBNS.
The youngster’s defense attorney, Brian Joslyn, claimed the stabbing was an act of self-defense.
“I have seen one video already where it appears my client and his friends are being attacked in the video, and then my client is running from the attackers,” Joslyn said, noting that the teenager had no prior criminal record.
Neither Jacinto, nor the 15-year-old suspect had any affiliation with the university, according to police.
Homicides on the Ohio State campus are rare, with the last one having occurred in 2010.
However, some students questioned why a Buckeye Alert, the college’s student warning system, was not sent out.
“We were a little surprised that we did not get a Buckeye Alert or the school didn’t reach out to us and we found out through a Snapchat story,” Bollinger told WBNS.
Ohio State Police Chief Dennis Jeffrey said officers responded quickly and an alert had not been sent because there had been no ongoing threat after the arrest of the 15-year-old.
“We are super concerned anytime there’s anyone injured on campus. I do think we were there quickly,” Jeffrey said.
The Independent has contacted Ohio State University for comment on the incident.
