The family of a 16-year-old Bronx teen who barely survived a stabbing attack by a bullied classmate that killed his best friend is planning to sue over the incident.
Ariane LaBoy and his friend, Matthew McCree, 15, were both stabbed by 18-year-old Abel Cedeno on Wednesday during a history class at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation. While LaBoy survived, his friend did not. LaBoy was reportedly trying to defend his friend when he was stabbed in the chest. When he woke up from a coma on Friday, it was to learn that his friend had been killed.
“My client and his family are completely devastated by this tragedy that could have and should have been prevented,” attorney Matthew Blit said in a statement. “Ariane LaBoy and the other children in that classroom are extremely lucky to be alive today.”
“On behalf of my client and his family, I ask that you allow them to grieve and heal in private,” Blit added.
Cedeno claimed that he had “snapped” because he had been bullied since the school year started up. While LaBoy and McCree had been tossing wads of paper and pencil shards at Cedeno on Wednesday, police said that the boys had not interacted with Cedeno or bullied him prior to that.