A 16-year-old boy was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Wednesday morning after being stabbed during a fight at West Potomac High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. A 15-year-old suspect, also a student, has been arrested and charged with malicious wounding, police said.
The incident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. on April 23, 2025, when a violent altercation broke out in a hallway of the school, which is located in the county's Alexandria area. Officers arrived within minutes, and the injured student was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, though his status was later upgraded to stable.
Fairfax County officials opted not to immediately release students following the stabbing, citing concerns that emotional students might escalate tensions if allowed to leave campus. "These are unilaterally tough decisions. There are a lot of emotions swirling, not only outside but inside the school as well," Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said in a news conference following the event, according to the Fairfax Daily Voice. "The last thing we want as responsible adults is to release emotional groups of students where something retaliatory in nature happens down the street." Instead, a "Stay Put, Stay Tuned" protocol was implemented.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the fight involved three students. While a third student participated in the altercation, he was not criminally charged. The knife used in the stabbing was recovered by investigators, and police confirmed that footage of the incident had circulated on social media. "We have the video, just like you have the video, but the video doesn’t tell the entire story," Davis noted, emphasizing that the investigation remains ongoing.
Parents expressed anxiety over school safety following the attack. Aellene, a mother of a student at the school, told WTOP, "This is something that could have been had stopped," highlighting a growing concern among the school community. In response to the stabbing, Fairfax County School Board members Mateo Dunne, Ilryong Moon, and Ryan McElveen issued a joint statement urging county officials to bolster campus safety. They recommended an increase in school resource officers to ensure every middle and high school is adequately staffed, as well as additional safety measures such as more school security assistants, advanced weapons detection systems, and increased video surveillance.
The incident struck a personal chord with local political leaders. Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, whose son attends West Potomac High School, expressed his concern and support for affected families. "These students are so close to the end of the school year and for many, a graduation. This time for celebration is now marred by this ugly incident. These kids deserved so much better today," he said.
Del. Paul Krizek, who graduated from West Potomac in 1980 and represents the school in the Virginia General Assembly, cosigned a statement with Surovell about the stabbing. "In the days ahead, we will work with school leaders, law enforcement, and mental health experts to fully fund programs to ensure safety and prevent future violence to ensure Fairfax County Public Schools remain the best public schools in the United States," Surovell and Krizek wrote. "To West Potomac students: You are not alone. We stand with you, and we are committed to your well-being and security."
Fairfax County Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid also addressed the situation during a news conference. She praised the quick response of school staff, stating, "While there's a sense, obviously a shock, that this would happen ... I'm very proud of the response of our staff to this incident. They responded quickly and admirably and may have saved a life today." Reid confirmed that students would not be released early and that West Potomac would follow the safety protocol until the crime scene had been cleared.
As the situation unfolded, parents waited anxiously outside the school. Aellene Fernandez, who attempted to pick up her son, expressed her frustration: "We got here and we get no answers. This is just crazy. We get videos from the kids inside, there's videos all over social media of what happened." Classes at West Potomac High School ended at 2:55 p.m. on the same day, more than five hours after the stabbing, as the school community grappled with the aftermath of the violent incident.
The school, which has an enrollment of nearly 2,400 students, does not currently have a permanent weapons detection system, although one is being tested in other schools within the district. As the investigation continues, the Fairfax County community is left reflecting on the events of that morning and the necessary steps to ensure the safety of students in the future.
