Van Nuys

Students injured in brawl and stabbing at Van Nuys High School

Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said that based on what he’s hearing from parents the incident may be gang-related.

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Four students were injured Wednesday in a brawl and stabbing outside Van Nuys High School that led to a four-hour campus lockdown.

The fight involving 11 students and stabbing were reported in the quad area of the campus. All of the injured victims were teen boys under 18, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said one student used some type of weapon to stab two other students. Details about the weapon were not immediately available.

Two other students also were injured. One was hospitalized with injuries suffered during the brawl. The other was treated at the campus.

None of the injuries are considered life-threatening.

Three students were detained for questioning, Carvalho said.

Two students at Van Nuys High School were stabbed following a brawl involving 11 students. Karma Dickerson reports for the NBC4 News on Nov. 1, 2023.

Police said Van Nuys High School was locked down. Classes were expected to resume Wednesday afternoon.

There are about 2,200 students at Van Nuys High School. The campus also has a continuation school with another 200 students.

At an afternoon news conference, Carvalho said police responded to the West San Fernando Valley schools within three minutes of the fight report. There will be a police presence at the school following the brawl, Carvalho said. It's not clear how long that law enforcement presence will continue.

"This is the type of incident that is difficult to anticipate, and we have to rely on what people know and can convey to us,'' Carvalho said. "These don't necessarily happen spontaneously. So we continue to urge parents or students to tell us about what they know so we can prevent these types of incidents from occurring."

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