Daijiworld Media Network - Florida

Florida, Mar 25: A seventh-grade student was taken into custody after allegedly stabbing two fellow students and a staff member at a middle school in the US state of Florida, authorities said.

The incident occurred early Tuesday morning at Walton Middle School in DeFuniak Springs during student drop-off time. According to the Walton County Sheriff's Office, the attack unfolded rapidly before school hours had officially begun.

Sheriff Michael Adkinson said the suspect, a student aged between 12 and 13, was detained within minutes near the school premises. The attacker had allegedly entered a restroom, emerged wearing a mask and armed with a sharp object, and carried out multiple stabbings in less than a minute.

Two students sustained serious injuries and were rushed to hospitals, while a staff member, identified as a paraprofessional, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Emergency responders, including deputies and officers from the DeFuniak Springs Police Department, quickly secured the scene. Authorities said the situation was brought under control within about seven minutes of the first report.

The injured students received immediate medical attention, with one airlifted to a hospital in Pensacola and another taken to a trauma centre in Fort Walton-Destin. The staff member was also hospitalised.

Officials said there is no ongoing threat to the public, and the suspect is currently being questioned. The motive behind the attack remains unclear.

The Walton County School District cancelled classes for the day and arranged reunification for students with their families. Additional counselling and mental health support have been made available.

School Superintendent Russell Hughes described the incident as deeply distressing and said efforts are underway to restore normalcy, with the school expected to reopen with support services in place.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.