TACOMA, Wash. — Pierce County prosecutors filed charges Friday morning against the teen accused of stabbing four people, including a security guard, at Foss High School in Tacoma a day earlier.
Waleed Emad Essakhi, 16, faces four counts of first-degree assault, according to charging papers filed in Pierce County Superior Court. The charges note Essakhi is a student at the school.
An arrest report outlined what detectives have learned about the fight and stabbing spree that occurred during afternoon classes at the school on Thursday.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | 5 students, security guard injured after stabbing at Tacoma’s Foss High School
According to the report, the most critically wounded victim had stab wounds to his chest and side and remains in the ICU. Another victim had a stab wound to their back. Other victims had cuts and lacerations to their bodies.
The security guard said he heard a call for help and ran to a hallway in the school where staff were trying to break up a group of students who were fighting. The guard was cut while disarming Essakhi during the scuffle, according to the charges.
Detectives interviewed the victims, who said Essakhi had stolen a vape pen the day before, leading to the confrontation at the school on Thursday. Police recovered surveillance video of the fight.
Police said the four juvenile victims who were stabbed confronted Essakhi in the hallway and forced a “semi-circle” around him.
“The video shows Essakhi slapping his own face, and bouncing back and forth towards (victim) as if trying to get (victim) to strike first,” the arrest report states. “At this time, Essakhi’s stance is bladed, and he appears to reach into his pocket on his right side, and appears to withdraw and manipulate an object. At the same time, Essakhi is using his left hand to slap his face, possibly to divert their attention.”
Detectives said Essakhi had the knife in his hand when the four boys “began to wildly punch Essakhi as he swung the knife at them.”
“The boys pulled Essakhi into the wall and knocked him to the ground,” the report states.
Tacoma police responded to the school as it was put on lockdown, and the victims and Essakhi were all taken to the hospital.
Essakhi is expected to make his first appearance in court on Friday afternoon.
Under Washington law, youth who are 16 or 17 and charged with a serious violent offense, which includes first-degree assault, are automatically referred to the adult court system.
At a first appearance hearing, a judge set bail for Essakhi at $750,000.
Classes were cancelled at the school on Friday. Tacoma Public Schools said classes will resume Monday with extra staff on hand to support students.
“Tacoma is a big small town, and connections run deep,” a statement from Superintendent Josh Garcia reads. “Someone you know is likely impacted by this event, and it takes compassion and courage from you to ask how they’re doing. Let’s be good to each other.”
