Two people were killed and a student was critically injured in a knife attack at a secondary school in Spišská Stará Ves, eastern Slovakia, on Thursday, Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj-Eštok confirmed.
Authorities identified both victims as female, an 18-year-old student and a 51-year-old deputy headteacher. A second 18-year-old female student was hospitalized with moderate injuries, while a 51-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman were treated at the scene for acute stress reactions, emergency services representative Danka Capáková. told Aktuality.sk.
Police arrested the 18-year-old suspect, reportedly a former student of the school, about an hour after the attack. He was found in a nearby forest after officers tracked his footprints in the snow, using dogs, ATVs, and snowmobiles.
Attack during school hours
The incident occurred shortly after noon when the suspect reportedly entered the United School, which houses a kindergarten, primary school, and secondary school. Carrying a knife, the attacker targeted individuals before fleeing the scene.
"Police arrested the suspect shortly before 2 p.m.," Police President Ľubomír Solák said at a press conference. He added that the attack happened during school hours when many people were in the building.
According to local news outlet Markíza TV, the suspect was due to take exams at another school in Kežmarok after being expelled for allegedly threatening classmates with a knife. Once considered an outstanding student, he had represented the school in academic and sports competitions, Aktuality.sk reported.
Community in shock
The town of Spišská Stará Ves was alerted to the attack through its public address system, local representative Anna Horníková said. Students from nearby schools were evacuated as a precaution, and parts of the town were cordoned off during the search for the suspect.
Education Minister Tomáš Drucker stated that the suspect had been on an individual study plan at the school, which included mid-year reviews. The secondary school will remain closed on Friday, its principal announced.
The case is being investigated by the Office for the Fight against Organized Crime, a specialized branch of Slovak police.
Interior Minister Šutaj-Eštok, Police President Solák, and Prosecutor General Maroš Žilinka visited the scene to assess the situation. "There is no longer any danger," the minister said, while police continue to patrol the area.
This tragedy has left the community grappling with shock and grief, as authorities work to determine the motive behind the attack.