A 14-year-old girl has been charged in connection with three stabbings at a school in north Manchester, police confirmed. The suspect faces three charges of attempted murder and two counts of possessing a bladed article on school premises following the incident on Tuesday.
The teenager is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday. Authorities have confirmed that the Counter-Terrorism Policing North-West unit is leading the investigation into the attack.
The stabbings occurred at Co-op Academy in Blackley on Tuesday morning, leaving two 14-year-old students—a boy and a girl—and a 27-year-old male staff member with injuries described as "non-serious" stab wounds. All three victims have since been discharged from hospital.
Initially arrested on suspicion of assault, the suspect was detained under the Mental Health Act. Greater Manchester Police stated that detectives are "keeping an open mind to the motivation of the attack" and have not classified it as a terrorist incident.
Chief Superintendent David Meeney, district commander for the city of Manchester, said: "Since our last update, further information has come to light that we have made Counter-Terrorism Policing North-West aware of." He added: "There is no information to indicate any further threat, and our local officers continue to be in the area. We are here to listen and to act, so please speak to our officers with any concerns."
Following the stabbing, students were placed in lockdown and instructed not to leave their classrooms as emergency services arrived at the scene. Within an hour, a large crowd of students, parents, and passersby had gathered outside the school.
Some parents expressed frustration over a lack of communication from the school, saying they had to rely on texts and calls from their children to understand what had happened. In a message sent to parents, the school acknowledged that an "incident" had occurred but assured everyone that they were safe.
