Northeast Middle School in Kansas City has metal detectors at the entrance. Students are only allowed to carry clear backpacks, which are searched every day. And a student resource officer and security patrol the halls.
But even so, Kansas City Public Schools officials are now left to investigate how a student could have been stabbed in the school on Tuesday, to then be found suffering from critical wounds inside a bathroom. That student, identified as 14-year-old Manuel J. Guzman, died after he was transported to a hospital.
Another male student was charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in Jackson County Juvenile Court. His identity was not made public as of Thursday morning.
On Thursday, Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell provided his first interview to The Star since Tuesday's stabbing. Bedell said the district is doing an internal review of what occurred that day while Kansas City police also investigate.
"We're just going through and doing our due diligence and doing our research around what happened, how could it have happened. And we're going to continue to just look into that," Bedell said, adding that the district investigation will include a review of security protocols.
Officials would not say how Guzman was found or what led up to the incident. It is also unclear what weapon was used or whether any weapon bypassed the school's metal detectors.
Officers were called after 9 a.m. Tuesday to the school at 4904 Independence Ave. on reports of a stabbing. Police said officers found Guzman inside a bathroom with stab wounds and immediately began rendering first aid along with school security. Emergency medical crews took him to a hospital.
The school went into lockdown, and police shut down surrounding streets. Students were let out of class early and reunited with their families. Parents there told The Star they received calls from their worried children as they were locked down in classrooms.
At about 8 that night, Guzman died as a result of his injuries, police announced.
Students returned for classes on Wednesday, greeted with additional security and support from counselors and clinicians.
Bedell told The Star he felt it was important to hold school the day after the killing to ensure students had access to counseling and other services.
"I think we have the ability to provide the social and emotional supports for the students with trained professionals. And these kids have strong relationships with the teachers and faculty and staff over at that school. I think everybody needed everybody," Bedell said. "And it was amazing that we did not have a single teacher or staff member call in the following day. They all showed up and they were there for their children, for their students. So we had to do that. There was no way we were going to allow for kids to be alone and isolated, trying to cope and understand a tragedy like this."
He said that additional counseling services will continue to be available to students.
The school district canceled several meetings this week, including a school board meeting Wednesday night, which some parents had hoped would serve as an opportunity to bring up concerns with officials.
"We just felt out of care and concern for our families, having a board meeting wasn't appropriate. And I think the focus for us is how do we give time to these families that are currently grieving," Bedell said. "We're talking about a couple of families impacted by this. Our intent yesterday was to go and visit and sit down with the parent, myself and the board chair, and we plan to do that just to offer whatever support the district can offer."
Officials said that the district will be offering opportunities for public comment.
"We've still been working almost 24/7 on this to make sure that we're giving the right approach to this. We're very sensitive to how we're moving forward to honor and respect those involved," district spokeswoman Kelly Wachel said. "There's lots of staff right now who are personally visiting with many involved, and we've got to give all those folks time. And we've got to give all of those folks the ability to process before we're doing big public meetings, big public events."
In a letter to families Tuesday night, Bedell said, "I am devastated for our students, our families and our NEMS community. Tomorrow, we will have additional counselors and clinicians at NEMS to provide support for students and staff. We know this news may affect you, as you are part of the KCPS family. We are working to make sure every school has the resources they need to support students and staff this week. I trust our trauma team to lead this work as we move forward together."
This past school year, educators locally and nationally have said they have noticed a rise in violence and threats made against schools.
Across the state line last month, an Olathe East High School senior was charged with attempted capital murder, accused of bringing a gun to school in his backpack and, when confronted, shooting a school resource officer, who also fired his gun. Student Jaylon Elmore, 18, the officer and an administrator were injured.
And earlier this year, two 14-year-olds were found dead in a double homicide across the street from Argentine Middle School. They were students with Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools.
Bedell said that Kansas City and districts across the country are addressing a rise in students' mental and emotional challenges.
"But we think the work that we've done with our student code of conduct, the work that we're doing with our trauma-informed approach and restorative justice approach has in essence helped us see a decrease in some of those things," he said. "But due to the pandemic, I think everybody's seen an increase in just some of the social and emotional distress."
