‘He was looking to kill someone,’ says teen who was stabbed at school

A teenage boy stripped off his jacket, shirt and tie on Tuesday to show a Family Court judge the scars left when he was stabbed on campus by another teenager.

The victim, who is now 17, said he might never recover physically and emotionally after being stabbed nine times on Dec. 15 at Cimarron-Memorial High School by a 15-year-old student.

“He brought that knife because he was looking to kill someone,” the victim said during the sentencing hearing.

The victim then stood up and quietly removed his clothing before approaching Family Court Judge David Gibson Jr. He showed Gibson the lengthy scar on his stomach and wounds across his chest, back, ear, scalp and hands.

In a hearing earlier this month, Gibson determined that the teenager in custody would not be charged as an adult. The judge hoped the boy could take advantage of the rehabilitation offered in the juvenile system.

The boy, who is now 16, pleaded guilty to one felony count of battery with a deadly weapon. He was committed to the Division of Child and Family Services’ correctional placement, which includes Summit View Youth Center, Caliente Youth Center and Nevada Youth Training center.

As a general rule, the Review-Journal does not identify juveniles involved in Juvenile Court cases.

The Clark County School Board voted Friday to discuss recent school violence issues at its March meeting. The district has seen an uptick in serious fights since the school year began, with more firearms confiscations and citations issued during the fall semester compared with pre-COVID-19 pandemic, but fewer arrests.

The Clark County Juvenile Justice Services Probation Office recommended that the teen stabber be sentenced to six months of probation and enter the mentorship program.

John Turco, the boy’s attorney, commended the recommendation of a mentor and said the boy had no strong male role model. Turco said his client acted in self-defense because the victim sent an anonymous message threatening to hurt him.

The teen in custody nearly severed his finger during the fight at school, and Turco said he now requires hand therapy.

Prosecutor Brandon Lewis asked the court for a one-year sentence in either Spring Mountain Behavioral Services or a family services correctional facility, 200 hours of community service and restitution to the victim’s family.

“This is a situation where he could have ended a young man’s life,” Lewis said.

The victim’s mother called the attack the “attempted murder” of her son. While speaking through a Spanish interpreter on Tuesday, she said her son had to undergo several surgeries and suffered permanent damage to his face and ears. In the back of the courtroom, the victim’s siblings whimpered while their mother spoke through tears.

“We went through nights and days of terrible suffering watching (the victim) fighting between life and death,” the woman recalled.

Gibson, who appeared visibly upset by the stab wounds presented to him in court, said the boy who caused the injuries was a danger to society.

“I can’t diminish the impact it’s had on your family in any way,” Gibson said to the victim. “I don’t take it lightly.”

When the stabber is eligible for parole, which Gibson estimated would be in about six months, the judge said the court would consider a mentorship program.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.