Student stabbed in Sachem East parking lot at dismissal; 15-year-old in custody

The 16-year-old victim went to Stony Brook University Hospital in serious condition; stabbing comes 9 days after a Smithtown West student was arrested with a stolen gun in his backpack

A 16-year-old student is in serious condition Thursday night after he was stabbed by another teen in the parking lot of Sachem High School East in Farmingville at dismissal time, police said.

The victim was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital. Meanwhile, the 15-year-old alleged attacker has been arrested, cops said.

Suffolk Police did not say what led to the stabbing, what weapon was used, or whether the 15-year-old is a Sachem student. They have not announced charges. Police do not name minors who are arrested.

Sachem Superintendent Patti Trombetta confirmed in a statement that the stabbing happened as students were being dismissed.

“The Sachem Central School District can confirm that a student stabbing occurred at Sachem High School East this afternoon during dismissal time, requiring an immediate law enforcement response,” the administrator said. “As a result, a student was immediately transported to Stony Brook University Hospital. All our thoughts are with the student and his family at this very difficult time.”

Trombetta said Suffolk Police told the district “that an arrest has been made, that the physical campus is secure and that the department is actively investigating the incident.”

“The health, safety and welfare of our students remain our highest priority as a district,” she said. “We understand the great concerns this incident may cause within the Sachem community. The district will proactively work with our own security team and the Suffolk County Police Department to address those concerns.”

With its sprawling campus, Sachem East is among the largest suburban high schools on Long Island and in the in state.

The stabbing comes nine days after a 16-year-old was arrested at Smithtown High School West when school staff searched his backpack and found a handgun, a magazine and a knife, police said. Police had gone to the Central Road school on Oct. 27 after a 911 caller reported that a student had posted a picture of himself with a gun on social media.

A felony complaint the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office gave to Greater Long Island says the gun was a Kahr P380, a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun. The complaint notes it had been reported stolen “from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.”

The Smithtown teen is charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds, criminal possession of a firearm and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. A judge also issued orders of protection for two students who helped identify him to school officials.

Click here for Greater Long Island newsletters.

_{Top: Sachem High School East in Farmingville, where a 16-year-old student was stabbed in the parking lot at dismissal Thursday (Sachem schools).}