Mood Is Edgy at High School After Stabbing : Coping: In wake of attack on 17-year-old, police and district security officers patrol the Huntington Beach campus as teachers, administrators try to address Edison student concerns.

A nervous official called Edison High School on Thursday, wanting to know if it was OK to fire starter pistols at an after-school track meet on campus following the stabbing of a student Wednesday.

The call illustrated the sensitive mood at the school after the attack on 17-year-old Dean Navarro, who is expected to recover from wounds to his abdomen and arm.

Three young men and a 15-year-old were arrested in connection with the attack shortly after it occurred.

As Edison’s 2,000 students returned to school Thursday morning, the assault dominated conversation.

Two school district security officers were sent to patrol the Magnolia Street campus. Huntington Beach police also patrolled the school, while teachers and administrators kept a close watch on students.

Officials also moved quickly to dispel any rumors about the assault. Principal Brian Garland assured students over the public-address system that it was “an isolated incident by four non-students.”

Though counselors were available, few students discussed the incident with them, school guidance psychologist Gayle Olson said.

Some students were concerned, said Assistant Principal Leon Stoabs. “They were just trying to understand why it happened, which, of course, no one really knows at this time,” he said.

Other than that, the school day was pretty normal, Garland said. Attendance was not down.

“I don’t see any difference,” Garland said at lunchtime. “Kids are in the quad, eating lunch. . . . It’s not like they’re looking over their shoulders, waiting for something bad to happen.”

Garland, who has been a teacher and administrator at Edison since 1970, said Wednesday’s stabbing was the first violent incident at the school.

No one seemed to know a motive for the stabbing, including Navarro’s 15-year-old brother, Wayne, who visited him in the hospital.

“I didn’t get to talk to him about that,” Wayne Navarro said. “He was kind of tired.”

Wayne Navarro said his parents were “shocked.”

Dean Navarro is well-known among his classmates. Some students described him as boisterous. One student called Navarro a nice friend.

“He’s a cool guy. He doesn’t start stuff with people. . . . (But) if they start stuff with him, he’s going to fight back,” said 16-year-old sophomore Erick Zermeno.

The stabbing caused some concern among the students.

“That’s all they’re talking about,” said one student. “They can’t believe it happened around here.”

Said another: “It’s scary and sad.”

Investigators “have yet to determine a motive for the stabbing,” Huntington Beach Police Lt. Chuck Poe said Thursday.

Police said the stabbing stemmed from an argument, but they did not know what the conflict was about or how long ill feelings had been brewing.

Poe said neither the victim nor the suspects, none of whom attend Edison High School, would cooperate.

Three adults--Minh Van Nguyen, 19, of Westminster; Khai Quang Do, 20, of Westminster; and Antoine Quan Nguyen, 22, of Anaheim--were scheduled to be arraigned today in West Municipal Court in Westminster on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, Poe said.

It was not clear Thursday when the 15-year-old, from Garden Grove, would face charges.

Investigators said they did not believe that the stabbing was gang-related and did not know if race was a factor. Police found a knife near the stabbing scene and were trying to determine whether it was the weapon used.

The attack was the latest in a series of violent incidents on Orange County campuses.

Last week, 22 Fountain Valley High School students were suspended after a student was stabbed in the head and ear during a campus melee.

In addition, violent incidents have recently been reported at or near schools in Anaheim, Fountain Valley, Lake Forest, Irvine and Santa Ana.

School statistics suggest that there has been an increase in campus violence, said Huntington Beach Union High School District Supt. David J. Hagen.

There were 12 expulsions from the district in the 1991-92 school year, he said, and the number has increased to 17 so far in 1992-93.

Hagen said seven students have been expelled for carrying knives on campus, six for having explosives, two for carrying stun guns, one for having a BB gun and one for possessing a pellet gun.

In 1991-92, six students were expelled for carrying knives, one for having an M-80 firecracker and two for bringing guns on campus. In addition, one student each was expelled for having a zip gun, a police-style baton and a starter pistol.

Times staff writer Jeffrey A. Perlman contributed to this report.