An apparent fight over a boy led to the stabbing death of a promising 16-year-old girl on Wednesday at a high school just outside of Detroit and sent shockwaves through the community.
The school district identified 16-year-old Danyna Gibson as the victim, who was reportedly stabbed twice in the chest with a steak knife at Warren Fitzgerald High School.
Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer told the Detroit Free Press that a teacher and 20 to 30 other students were in the classroom when the stabbing occurred at about 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Dwyer said the teenager was, at one point, friends with the suspect, he said. Both students were seniors at the school.
“It’s truly a tragedy. Two lives are ruined,” Dwyer said, adding that the girls were good students who had not been in trouble before. “This is truly a tragedy on both sides.”
The suspect, an unnamed 17-year-old girl, was taken into custody and a homicide charge could be sought today from the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
Dwyer told reporters that the suspect was upset with Gibson because she thought the girl was telling the suspect’s 17-year-old boyfriend that she was cheating on him.
“She was running towards me, she was screaming, and all I saw was the girl catch her and stab her in her chest,” Francesca Pascua told WXYZ.
Francesca told the news outlet that as Danyna fell to the floor, the teacher tried to get the suspect out of the classroom.
“She ran out the classroom while the teacher was pushing her out and she was saying I’m going to kill you I am going to slit your throat she was saying crazy things and like running around in circles,” said Francesca.
“Our Fitzgerald Community is #FitzNation strong and it’s important that we come together and support each other,” Fournier said in the statement. “Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Danyna’s family, friends and classmates during this difficult time.
WXYZ reports that a vigil for Danyna Gibson is planned on the high school football field for 1:00 p.m. on Thursday.