Pitești pupil, 15, injures 2 classmates with machete at school
A 15-year-old brought a machete into a high school in Pitești, Romania, and injured 2 classmates on Thursday, police said.
A 15-year-old pupil brought a machete into Colegiul Tehnologic Armand Calinescu, a high school in Pitești, Romania, on Thursday morning and attacked 2 classmates during a conflict, the county police inspectorate said. One classmate suffered a cut to the forearm and was taken to hospital; the other was physically assaulted, police said.
The attack happened in the boys' toilets during the 08:50-09:00 break, the county schools inspectorate said. Teachers were alerted by two older pupils and immediately called police. A SMURD paramedic team treated the injured pupils; one had a wound to the right arm and was taken to hospital for further checks, while the other, who had grazes to the left arm, declined transport, the Arges emergency inspectorate said.
The suspect was taken into police custody. Investigators are working to establish whether he can be held criminally responsible, given his age, a Romanian police spokesman said. The county's chief school inspector said the pupil had shown no earlier signs of behavioural problems and came from a stable family.
The incident came three days after a 13-year-old attacked a teacher and a pupil with a knife at a school in Bistrița, in an attack prosecutors said was premeditated and racially motivated.
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What we know
- Official · Arges county police A 15-year-old pupil attacked 2 classmates with a machete at a high school in Pitești on Thursday, Arges county police said.
- Official · Arges emergency inspectorate One injured pupil suffered a cut to the forearm and was hospitalised; the other declined hospital transport, the Arges emergency inspectorate said.
- Official · police The suspect, who police say showed no earlier signs of behavioural problems, is in police custody.
- 1 outlet · Antena 3 CNN The attack came three days after a separate, racially motivated knife attack by a 13-year-old on a teacher and pupil in Bistrița.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Whether the attack was motivated by bullying, as described by a witness quoted in local media
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The Pitești attack is the second knife incident at a Romanian school within days, after a 13-year-old was found to have planned a racially motivated attack on a classmate in Bistrița. Romania's education minister has said the Bistrița attacker was radicalised through online contacts made through gaming.
Sources
Reported by 7 reports from 7 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- Antena 3 CNN: Un nou atac cu cuțitul a avut loc într-o școală din România. Un elev de liceu și-a tăiat un coleg de 15 ani
- Adevărul: Atac cu maceta într-un liceu din Pitești. Un elev de 15 ani și-a înjunghiat doi colegi
- Jurnal.md: Un nou atac la un liceu din România: Un elev de 15 ani din Pitești și-a înjunghiat un coleg
- HotNews: Un nou incident violent într-o școală din România: Un elev de 15 ani și-a atacat cu o macetă doi colegi, într-un liceu din Pitești. Noi detalii despre atac
- Antena 3 CNN: Al doilea atac cu cuțitul în 3 zile într-o școală din România. Un elev de liceu din Pitești și-a tăiat un coleg de 15 ani
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Pitești?
- A 15-year-old pupil attacked 2 classmates with a machete at a high school, injuring one in the forearm, police said.
- Will the attacker face charges?
- Investigators are assessing whether he can be held criminally responsible given his age, police said.
- Is this linked to the Bistrița attack?
- No direct link has been reported, but it is the second school knife incident in Romania within three days.
This article was written with AI assistance from 8 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.