PERTH AMBOY, N.J. (PIX11) — Students in Perth Amboy walked out of classes Monday to call for improved school safety days after one 11-year-old boy allegedly stabbed and seriously injured another in an off-campus incident.
Several students left Perth Amboy High School and marched to Samuel E. Shull Middle School, where they sat down in an act of peaceful protest.
The students called for better school safety measures in the wake of a Shull student’s stabbing.
The victim was walking home from school around 2:35 p.m. Wednesday when another pre-teen allegedly stabbed him with a knife, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Perth Amboy Police Department.
The victim remains hospitalized with what officials described as serious injuries.
The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed due to his age, was taken into custody and is charged with “an act of juvenile delinquency for offenses which if committed by an adult would constitute Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon on School Property, and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose,” authorities said.
A joint statement released by the City of Perth Amboy and its board of education stressed that the incident did not take place on school grounds, but still vowed a concrete response.
“We want our students to feel safe and supported, and we will exhaust all efforts to support this process,” the statement read in part. “We must remain focused on working together and in solidarity to ensure our youth’s thriving future.”
Another peaceful protest is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Monday near Perth Amboy City Hall.
