How did Horry County teen get knife used in stabbing on campus? What district said
Nearly a month after a student was stabbed at St. James High School near Myrtle Beach, it is still unclear how the 15-year-old who allegedly stabbed him managed to have a knife on school property.
Reports have swirled online that the teenager got the knife from a classroom. However, Horry County Schools district spokesperson Lisa Bourcier would not confirm or deny the reports, nor would she say exactly where the freshman student got the weapon.
“As a matter of safety, we do not disclose specific information regarding our security systems or investigative findings to ensure ongoing protection against potential threats,” Bourcier said by email. “We have shared our findings with the appropriate authorities.”
A 16-year-old was allegedly stabbed in the back by another teenager while in the bathroom at St. James High School on March 4, resulting in a lockdown of the school as police searched for the offender. The student was later arrested by officers who found him running across the football field with a knife, reports said.
Parents have questioned how a student was able to acquire the weapon when the school has metal detectors and other security procedures in place. The school district spent millions of dollars in installing new security systems about two years ago, as well as changing some of its policies regarding safety checks of students, staff and visitors.
Prior to the stabbing, the district had spent the last few months installing and testing a new crisis-alert system in all of its 58 schools that is expected to be deployed soon, Bourcier said.
The new system is designed to alert authorities, as well as staff, quicker to such incidents as the stabbing with the push of a “panic” button.
Student accused of stabbing remains in juvenile custody
The name of the 15-year-old who was arrested in the stabbing was not released. He was charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime by Horry County Police.
A detention hearing for the teen occurred on March 17, and a judge agreed that the juvenile would remain in custody instead of being released.
It is still unclear why the student allegedly stabbed the other child, and if the two teens knew one another or had prior issues with each other.
Emergency dispatchers were called to the school about 1:43 p.m., according to a computer-aided dispatch report.
The report said that a student had been stabbed with a knife and was in a classroom with the nurse and a student resource officer. The teen had been stabbed in the upper right torso, under the shoulder blade, the report said.
The student was conscious and breathing. An updated report on the condition of the student has not been provided.
The report also said that the assailant was still “inside the same structure” following the stabbing and that the school was going on lockdown.
The suspect was reported as wearing black pants and a black shirt and was spotted running across the football field about 1:47 p.m. He was taken into custody about 1:55 p.m., the report said.
All staff will have wearable security badge
Last year, Horry County Schools invested nearly $1 million to install new technology that will allow all staff and teachers in each school and every facility to have a wearable panic button.
The system is CENTEGIX CrisisAlert System that tracks a teacher’s or staff’s precise location in the event of an emergency, and staff can request help with a push of a button on a wearable badge. With additional clicks, the badge can lock down an entire school and connect to 911. The technology uses strobes that create a network to process alerts and connect to the school’s computers and intercom.
It is designed to have help arrive quickly when needed. Training is being provided for all teachers and staff, Bourcier said.
District has spent millions on security at schools
The wearable panic button is just the latest in security systems that have been added to schools in the last two years.
After dealing with multiple security issues, including a student bringing a gun in a clear backpack, as well as bullets, into Myrtle Beach Middle School in 2024, the school district purchased and installed weapons detection systems in all schools. The district purchased 259 new security systems for its campuses, including 128 OPENGATE Weapons Detection Systems and 131 Garrett Paragon Metal Detectors at a cost of $3 million, The Sun News previously reported.
The OPENGATE system can screen people carrying backpacks, purses or bags for threats without the need for the items to be taken and searched. When a weapon or metal threat is detected, an alarm will be activated.
The system’s primary function is prevent weapons from getting into the school, not metal, Mike Frederick, executive director of safety and security for Horry County Schools said previously.
It is possible for metal to still get through. But Frederick said it’s items like knives and firearms that the system is designed to locate.
