ATLANTA — A student at Brookwood High School in Snellville was taken to the hospital on Thursday after a stabbing in a school bathroom, according to the principal.
In a letter sent to parents, Brookwood High Principal Brett Savage initially said, "A student was found injured in a school bathroom and transported to the hospital for care."
Savage later sent a second statement clarifying that a student was stabbed in the restroom and that a classmate was arrested in relation to the crime.
The student accused of stabbing their classmate was charged with aggravated assault, weapon on school property, and disruption of school.
"We understand this situation may be unsettling, and we want to assure you that the safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority," the letter said.
Brookwood High School "remains safe" and is operating on its normal schedule, the principal added.
While talking with journalists later in the day, Gwinnett County Schools Director of Community and Media Relations Bernard Watson stated that police were able to arrest the suspect, who had left the building, within 35 minutes of being notified. Later on, he said officers found a knife.
However, Watson added he could not comment on the condition of the student stabbed due to "student privacy laws."
Neither the name of the victim nor the suspect arrested has been given.
Watson still offered a stern message regarding the consequences of such behavior on campus; "Violence at Brookwood High will not be tolerated. It's not just against our student disciplinary code; it's against the law."
Read the principal's full letter below:
Dear Brookwood High School Parents,
The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority. With that in mind, I want to update you about the troubling incident I shared with you earlier today.
One of our students has been arrested after police say he stabbed a classmate in one of our restrooms. The student who was stabbed was transported to the hospital. Because of student privacy laws, I cannot share additional information about his condition, but I know you join me in wishing the student a speedy recovery.
To be clear, what happened today is unacceptable. The student accused of attacking their classmate is facing serious criminal charges and maximum school disciplinary consequences. Violence against students and staff will not be tolerated at Brookwood High School. As is the case in this incident, those who engage in this type of behavior will face appropriate criminal charges. I want to reassure you, we are taking this situation seriously. The incident was handled promptly and thoroughly.
Despite what happened today, Brookwood High remains a safe place. We must never lose sight of the fact that the vast majority of our students follow school rules and play a critical role in keeping our school safe.
As a reminder, if you or your student sees or hears about something that is troubling and/or a threat to our school community, please let us know. You can report your concerns anonymously through “GCPS Tips,” our mobile app, or through a desktop or laptop web browsers at P3Campus.com/5105. Apple users can download GCPS Tips via the "App Store." Android users can find it in "Google Play." You can also share anonymous concerns by texting 738477
As always, thank you for your continued support of our schools.
Brett Savage
Principal, Brookwood High School