An arrest has been made following Tuesday’s stabbing incident at Ft. Lee High School. According to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, a 16-year-old juvenile has been charged with stabbing a male student numerous times. The juvenile student is listed in critical, but stable condition.
According to Prosecutor Musella, the charges in this incident are the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck, and the Fort Lee Police Department, under the direction of Chief Matthew Hintze.
A press release from the Prosecutor’s Office states, “As previously reported, on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at approximately 10:52 a.m., the Fort Lee Police Department responded to an emergency radio call from a uniformed officer assigned to Fort Lee High School. The officer reported a stabbing at the school, and additional police units were dispatched, which included assistance from neighboring jurisdictions and agencies. Responding Fort Lee Police Officers discovered a male juvenile student had been stabbed multiple times. First responders and school security personnel provided first aid before the victim was promptly transported by ambulance to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The victim survived and is currently listed in critical but stable condition.”
During the incident, authorities placed the school on lockdown. The suspect, who has been identified as a 16-year-old fellow student, was apprehended at the school.
Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit responded and initiated a joint investigation with the Fort Lee Police Department. Musella says the investigation revealed that the suspect and the victim were in a school bathroom and engaged in an altercation when the suspect stabbed the victim several times with a knife. The victim was stabbed in the neck, abdomen, back, and arm, causing serious injuries.
The juvenile suspect was placed in protective custody and charged with juvenile delinquency, specifically: first-degree attempted murder; second-degree aggravated assault; third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose; and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
The juvenile was transferred to the custody of the Bergen County Juvenile Detention Center, pending a closed hearing in Bergen County Superior Court, Family Law Division.
Prosecutor Musella says the charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutor Musella thanked the Fort Lee Police Department for their assistance with the investigation, as well as the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, Englewood Cliffs Police Department, Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department, and Port Authority Police Department for their response and assistance.