Man, 18, stabbed to death at Cleveland High School in Reseda
An adult school student was stabbed Wednesday afternoon in an altercation at Cleveland High School in Reseda and later died of his wounds, law enforcement authorities said.
The victim was a student at West Valley Occupational Center in Woodland Hills, according to Los Angeles Police Department Cmdr. Sharon Papa. He was believed to be 18.
The student was attacked on one of the school’s handball courts about 4 p.m. after an argument with two men who were described as being between 18 and 20, authorities said. He was stabbed multiple times before walking a short distance and collapsing on the ground, according to authorities.
The incident was observed by a number of witnesses, including players and coaches with the school baseball team. One of the coaches rushed to the victim and used a shirt to apply pressure to stop the bleeding as a teacher called 911, a witness told The Times.
The area was swarmed by school police and LAPD officers who fanned out as they searched for the two men. Police said they did not believe that the two men were students at the school.
The baseball team canceled practice. There was no lockdown because classes had ended for the day, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Unified School District said.
The victim was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. “He passed away from his injuries,” LAPD Officer Christopher No said.
The victim’s name was not released Wednesday night.
Cleveland High, which in recent years has had about 3,800 students, has been recognized for its humanities magnet school. One parent said the incident is not reflective of the school, which she described as safe.
“My kids have always felt safe on campus,” said Bonnie Goodman, whose children have attended classes at Cleveland High for the last seven years. “This appears to be an isolated incident where the school became a setting for an unfortunate event that did not involve our students.”
Times staff writers Richard Winton and Eric Sondheimer contributed to this report.
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