A 13-year-old boy was stabbed to death on campus late this morning at River Valley High School on Boon Lay Avenue.
A 16-year-old high school senior is in police custody and will be charged with murder after a student was killed with an axe, an incident Singapore’s education minister described as a “tragic incident.”
Police said they responded to calls at 11:40am. Officers said the victim and his alleged attacker did not know each other, suggesting the boy was a random target. An axe believed used in the attack was seized.
“Upon arrival, officers found the 13-year-old teenager lying motionless, with multiple wounds at a toilet at the said location,” the police told reporters. The victim was a Sec 1 student; the suspect in his killing is in Sec 4. Neither have been identified publicly.
Education Minister Chan Chun Sing addressed the news at about 3:30pm.
Update: Teen axe murder suspect held for psych evaluation
“We are all shocked to receive news of the tragic incident at River Valley High School this morning,” he wrote. “Our thoughts are with the families of the students concerned. Ministry of Education, Singapore is rendering all possible support to them, and the students and staff at the school.
He added that they were working with Singapore Police Force on investigating the incident and would share more information at a later time. Chan Chun Sing was later spotted visiting the campus in the early evening.
One parent told The Straits Times earlier that a student was wielding an axe on campus.
Images were circulating online of purported messages from students saying a male student was holding an axe and “washing away blood” at a water cooler. Another described “a guy holding a [very] big axe outside our classroom.” They could not immediately be independently verified.
Just after 3pm, a video was posted online of students silently filing out of a school gate.
In a joint statement provided to Coconuts, the high school and Education Ministry said they were extending the “fullest support” to the family of the slain boy.
“The school has also reached out to students, parents and staff to provide counselling support and the necessary assistance to ensure their well-being,” it said, adding that it could not comment further and urging the public to respect the family’s privacy.
River Valley High School was founded in 1956 and caters to students 12 to 18.
Episodes of serious violence on Singapore’s campus are relatively unheard of, with no known killings recorded in recent memory.
This is a developing story and may be updated without notice.
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