A 17 year old Northwestern High School student has been charged with attempted murder after police say he tried to strangle a classmate with a charging cord and stabbed him in the neck repeatedly with a pencil during a fight at the Rock Hill school.
The fight happened Monday, Sept. 28, according to Rock Hill police, as reported by WBTV. Police identified the student as Ayden Bolton and said he will be charged as an adult.
The case is one of the more serious incidents of violence on a Rock Hill Schools campus this fall, and it comes as parents across York County continue to ask questions about student safety and support inside local schools.
What police say happened
Rock Hill police said Bolton used a charging cord in an attempt to strangle the other student and then stabbed him in the neck several times with a pencil. The other student suffered a puncture wound, police said. Police did not describe how serious his injuries were, and his name has not been released.
Officers detained Bolton at the school. Police said they found a THC vape on him.
While he was in custody, police said, Bolton made threats toward the other student and said he wanted to hurt himself. Police also said he damaged school property and tried to reach items while he was inside a patrol car.
Charges upgraded
Bolton was taken to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and initially issued a juvenile summons on three counts: assault and battery, possession of marijuana and malicious injury to real property valued at less than $2,000.
Police later upgraded the assault and battery count to attempted murder. The charges are allegations, and Bolton has not been convicted of any crime.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
