Grandmother of stabbing victim, McKinley HS parents speak out after stabbing
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The stabbing incident that occurred Monday is the latest in a longstanding history of violence at McKinley High School, leaving parents frustrated and terrified.
Jannet Kenyon, the grandmother of the 15-year-old who was stabbed, along with numerous parents and students at McKinley, were visibly shaken Monday, with some breaking down in tears.
Several parents declared that they have had enough of this type of violence and stated they will be withdrawing their children from the school.
“These kids are in the windows, they are crying, they’re calling home, they’re calling parents and they’re denying stuff,” said parent Latisha Nelson. “So, we just want our kids.”
“How many times have I been here to pick them up because there’s been a bomb threat — somebody being stabbed over the past three years that he’s been here, multiple times,” said parent Alphonso Christopher.
Kenyon said she’s uncertain why her grandson was targeted, but that he will not return to McKinley and will likely be homeschooled after his recovery.
“We wanted to know why he’s not being protected at school, like we don’t understand this,” Kenyon said. “They have protection, they have peacemakers here, why? Why did he get stabbed?”
Other parents have expressed concerns that they learned about the stabbing incident from their own children before the school even notified them.
“My son’s best friend is sitting there texting me messages, pictures, saying that somebody got stabbed at the school, saying ‘Please get me in your son out of here,’” Christopher said.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said Monday that the school’s security system was effective, with the situation being quickly stabilized and school security responding within seconds.
“The school told me not to come and get my kids because they were safe where they were,” said parent Jonathon Hernandez. “But like how am I not going to come and get my kids? They are safer with me.”
Parents have expressed that the security measures are reactive, not proactive, and that although there are steps in place to address the issue, they are not proving effective.
“What type of security do they have to protect our children? What type of protection do they have here?” Kenyon said. “She said they go through metal detectors, but how does a child get in there with a knife to stab him?”
One parent speculated how a kid could have brought a knife into school.
“How did he get in with it? They bring them in in their shoes and they’re not checking book bags,” said parent Olympia Johnson. “Half of the kids don’t have a locker yet to put anything up, so they walk around with these bags on them and don’t tell anybody what’s in them.”
WIVB News 4 spoke with Aymanuel Radford from We The Parents of Western New York, who said that the concerns of these parents are justified.
“For those who don’t know, McKinley is the most staffed in the district,” Radford said. “They have the most security guys, the most adults in the building, so obviously more security or more police officers is not solving the problem, so that means we got to unearth what the real issue is,” Radford said.
“I hope they definitely got some counsel because my daughter definitely saw the stabbing. That’s my thing,” Johnson said.
According to police, the 15-year-old is stable as of Monday night. Buffalo police announced Monday night that one student has been arrested and charged in connection with the stabbing.
Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams Knight said that their crisis response team, along with counselors, will be present at the school tomorrow.
Some parents expressed that their children will not attend until a more satisfactory solution is announced.
“My hope is that the superintendent brings all of the stakeholders to the table,” Radford said. “This isn’t the community versus the district, this should be all of us solving the problem together, and until we do that, we’re going to continue to have a situation like this happen.”
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Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
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