Two students hurt in fight at school in Columbia, another charged with attempted murder
Two students were injured during a fight at a high school in Columbia Tuesday morning and another is in custody, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
The fight involving a knife attack happened at about 10 a.m. outside of a classroom at Ridge View High School, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. The Richland 2 school is on Hard Scrabble Road, near the intersection with Summit Parkway.
One of the 16-year-old students who was injured was taken to an area hospital, according to the release.
The student suffered puncture wounds during the fight, Richland 2 spokesperson Ishmael Tate told The State. He was stabbed with a knife several times in the upper body, the sheriff’s department said.
Further information on the student’s condition was not available, but Tate said the student was conscious when taken to the hospital by EMS.
Another 16-year-old male student suffered a minor injury but did not go to the hospital, the sheriff’s department said.
The other student involved in the fight, identified as a 17-year-old male, ran away from the high school’s campus, according to the sheriff’s department.
At 12:35 p.m., the sheriff department said the 17-year-old was found at an off-campus location and is in custody after a search involving units on the ground and in the air.
Despite his age, Tony Abrams was charged as an adult and is facing one count of attempted murder, the sheriff’s department said. The 17-year-old was booked into the juvenile wing of Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
There was no word about what led to the fight, but it continues to be investigated by the sheriff’s department.
In addition to the criminal charge, Tate said it’s school district policy that any student who brings a weapon onto campus can face expulsion.
Ridge View High and nearby Rice Creek Elementary School were placed on secure status, meaning classes go on as normally scheduled but no one is allowed in or out of the building, according to Tate. At about 1 p.m., the secure status was lifted, Tate said.
The “secure” response is part of the “standard response protocol” used by school districts nationwide. In 2021, the foundation that developed this protocol changed some of the terminology used, and what is now referred to as secure is what was previously called a lockout.
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This story was originally published April 25, 2023 at 12:14 PM.
