Burlington Reporter

Three students have been arrested in connection with Thursday’s stabbing death of a student at Northside High School, which is in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

A second student and a teacher were also injured; both are expected to recover.

The community of Jacksonville is coming together, discussing how things need to change.

“It just really broke our heart that a mother or a father yesterday had to go home and they weren’t able to hug their child coming home,” Mariah Hayes, a parent of four children in Onslow County, told CBS17.com.

The incident started as an argument but escalated into deadly violence.

“We all just had to take a moment of prayer,” Hayes said. "Because every parent sends their kid to school thinking that they’re going to come home and thinking that school is a safe place for them to be.”

Hayes said she’s considering homeschooling her young children instead of sending them to Northside High School in the future.

Classes were cancelled Thursday after the early-morning fight, and students were told to switch to remote learning on Friday. They returned to school Tuesday, with counselors being available for those students who needed to talk.

“I am relieved that (my daughter is) OK,” parent April Fox told CBS17.com. “But none of our kids should have to go through this right now.” 

During a press conference on Thursday, Jacksonville Public Safety Chief Michael Yaniero said a school resource officer quickly responded to the incident, taking one student into custody soon afterward.

Onslow County Schools issued the following statement last week: "We are focused on prioritizing the safety and well-being of our students and staff. Our thoughts and prayers for healing go out to the family of the young man who died, the other student who was injured and the entire NHS school community.”