15-year-old student stabbed at McKinley HS expected to survive

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A 15-year-old student was stabbed at McKinley High School on Elmwood Avenue on Monday, the third day of the new school year.

Police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said the male student is currently in serious condition, but is expected to survive.

The student was stabbed three times, once in the neck, once in the back and once in the arm, according to police.

Gramaglia said the victim and two others involved in the incident are the same people who were involved in another stabbing in July. That incident occurred on Main Street around Fountain Plaza, he said.

The victim’s grandmother, Jannet Kenyon, told WIVB News 4 that the 15-year-old also was stabbed this past summer.

“What type of security do they have to protect our children? What type of protection do they have in here?” Kenyon said. “They said they have metal detectors but how does a child get in here with a knife?”

During a press conference, Gramaglia said the incident occurred during a fight on a stairwell between classes. The 15-year-old was taken to the nurses office by a security officer. The two others went up to a classroom on the third floor, where police took them into custody.

The knife was recovered. Police said they are unsure how it got into the school through McKinley’s weapons detection system.

One of the students was accused of stabbing while the other was accused of a physical altercation. Their ages and charges will be released upon an arrest.

The incident was captured on school security cameras. Gramaglia said the investigation is ongoing as they review the footage.

Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams said that school will “absolutely resume” on Tuesday.

Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here .