A suspect was arrested Wednesday after a student reported a planned mass stabbing at a Fresno high school on September 11.
Fresno police identified the suspect as a minor juvenile who attended Duncan Polytechnical High School, a public campus in the Fresno Unified School District. The arrest came after a chilling warning message circulated among students and reached authorities in time to prevent the threatened attack on the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks.
The plot first surfaced when a friend of the suspect sent an urgent message to others warning of the planned violence. “There is going to be a mass stabbing at Duncan High School on September 11th, this is not a joke, or a hoax,” the message read. The same message contained additional alarming details about the suspect’s motivations.
“My friend who goes to Duncan is planning an attack on Duncan for unknown reasons other than how he doesn’t like people,” the message continued. “PLEASE believe me, do not go to school l[on] September 11th if you go to Duncan.”
The warning traveled from one student to another, eventually reaching a parent who contacted Fresno police. Law enforcement officials said they were able to identify and locate the student involved thanks to the tip.
The Fresno Police Department confirmed that a minor juvenile was booked into custody on charges related to the investigation. Police told The Post that no other arrests are expected in connection with the case.
Fresno Unified School District addressed the incident in a statement, noting that it “stems from a threat made in a chat on social media.” The district added that “the Fresno Police Department and school resource officer (SRO) were able to identify the student involved. The individual will face appropriate disciplinary action.”
News of the arrest and the student who spoke up sparked widespread praise across social media platforms. “Big thank you to the student that did the right thing. Our granddaughters are freshmen there,” one person wrote. Another commenter shared similar sentiments about the importance of reporting threats.
“Kudos to that student! He needs a medal. This just proves if people would speak up when they hear about something like this it would be stopped before anyone gets hurt,” the person wrote.
Duncan Polytechnical High School serves students interested in careers in Applied Technology or Health Sciences. The school combines rigorous academics with real-life work experiences and extracurricular activities, according to its website.
The threatened date carried additional weight as the nation prepared to mark 25 years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The suspect’s alleged plan to target the anniversary date underscored the potential severity of the thwarted plot.