DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. — A middle school student in the Florida Panhandle accused of stabbing two other students and an adult paraprofessional on Tuesday is facing six charges, including attempted murder, authorities said.
During a Wednesday news conference, Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said the the 12-year-old boy’s name will not be revealed for now, WEAR reported.
Charges against the seventh-grader include one count of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, one count of wearing a mask during the commission of a felony, one count of tampering with evidence and one count of disrupting a school function.
The suspect is currently being held with no bond in secure juvenile detention in Crestview, the sheriff’s office said.
“He is currently being handled as a juvenile,” Adkinson told reporters. “Decisions on how that’s going to ultimately be made based on what the facts of the case are and in accordance with the laws of Florida in regards to handling children of this age.
“We don’t want to do anything that’s going to hurt our case by saying something we shouldn’t say.”
UPDATE: The 12-year-old suspect in yesterday's stabbing attacks at Walton Middle School is facing six charges, including attempted murder.
— WEAR ABC 3 (@weartv) March 25, 2026
The sheriff's office is not releasing his name or photo at this time since he is still being handled as a juvenile.https://t.co/rjaAKGbvR5
To be tried as an adult, the boy must be indicted by a grand jury, WEAR reported.
The incident occurred at about 7:17 a.m. CT on Tuesday before classes began. Adkinson said during a Tuesday briefing that there were about 40 students in the school -- early drop-offs -- at the time of the attack, WJHG reported.
Adkinson said the suspect walked into a bathroom at the school then came out wearing a mask and armed with a sharp object. The sheriff said the suspect attacked “the first student he comes in contact with,” stabbing the victim several times, according to The New York Times.
Adkinson said the suspect attacked the “first student he comes in contact with,” stabbing the victim multiple times. The student then “separates from that individual,” and attacked the paraprofessional down a hall. He advances farther down the hall and stabbed a second student, Adkinson said.
The two student victims were also seventh-graders.
Officials said the attack lasted approximately 45 seconds, according to WJHG.
Adkinson says the two student remained hospitalized Wednesday in critical condition after originally being placed in intensive care, WEAR reported. The paraprofessional who was attacked has since been released from the hospital, the sheriff said.
The motive for the attacks remains unclear, Adkinson said.
“From all accounts, this appears to be totally random in victim selection,” he said.
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