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| Spiššská Stará Ves school stabbing | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Gymnázium, Spišská Stará Ves |
| Coordinates | 49°22′45″N 20°21′39″E / 49.3792°N 20.3608°E |
| Date | 16 January 2025 |
| Weapons | knife |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Victims | 2 |
| Perpetrator | Samuel S. |
| Motive | Unknown |
On 16 January 2025, a stabbing took place at a high school in Spišská Stará Ves, a small town in Slovakia near the border with Poland. A 18-year-old student stabbed with a knife and killed a teacher and a fellow student, with one other person injured. The culprit was arrested after the stabbing.[1]
The stabbing took place at w gymnasium on Štúrová street in Spišská Stará Ves, Slovakia at about 1 p.m. on 16 January 2025. A 52-year old female assistant school principal and an 18-year old female student were killed. Another 18-year old female student was taken into hospital with stabbing injuries.[2]
After the stabbing, the perpetrator, a student, fled the scene. The police warned the locals about an armed man being on the loose in town and cautioned residents not to approach him. He was arrested about an hour after the stabbing in a forest near the nearby village of Matiašovce.[3][4]
Samuel S., a student, who was 18 at the time of the attack was identified as the perpetrator and arrested. The perpetrator transferred to the school from Gymnasium in Kežmarok and was known as an excellent student, who represented his previous school in competitions in mathematics and German language as well as various sports competitions.[5] Nonetheless, he had repeatedly threatened his classmates with violence before the attack.[6]
The interior minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok and education minister Tomáš Drucker immediately traveled to Spiššská Nová Ves to offer condolences and support to the local authorities.[7] The opposition leader Michal Šimečka, the health minister Kamil Šaško, the governor of the Prešov Region Milan Majerský and other politicians and civil society leaders immidiately condemned the stabbing.[8] Likewise, the president of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini condemned the attack and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.[9]