PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Clearwater police said the stabbing at Countryside High School on Thursday was an intentional act, describing the suspect as homicidal. According to officials, the 14-year-old suspect had a handwritten manifesto, and idolized serial killers and terrorists.

What You Need To Know

  • Clearwater police said the stabbing at Countryside High School on Thursday was an intentional act, describing the suspect as homicidal
  • According to officials, the 14-year-old suspect had a handwritten manifesto, and idolized serial killers and terrorist
  • Chief Eric Gandy said the victims are in the ninth and 11th grade and that the suspect is in the ninth grade

Police said they don't think this was a targeted attack. Officials believe any of the students could have been fair game.

According to authorities, two students were stabbed and taken to area hospitals for treatment. Officials said both students are in stable condition, and the suspect is in custody.

Chief Eric Gandy said that one victim, a 14-year-old, was stabbed in the neck and is recovering at home. Gandy said the second victim, a 16-year-old, was stabbed in the chest and stomach and had surgery Thursday night. He is currently in the ICU.

Gandy said the victims are in the ninth and 11th grade and that the suspect is in the ninth grade.

The stabbing happened just before 11:30 a.m., Gandy said, and said that school resources officers had the suspect in custody within two minutes.

Gandy said steps were quickly made to notify their parents.

Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said SROs, administration and teachers did a good job making sure students were OK. The school has more than 1,500 students.

Gandy said the stabbing happened in a "main concourse" after a school lunch.

Michelle Daniels said she and her family were driving back to Clearwater when she started receiving texts. They had traveled to Florida’s east coast ahead of Idalia.

Messages from her sons' friends were how they found out two students were attacked.

"It was gut-wrenching, to be honest with you,” Daniels said. “I'm not even one of the parents of, obviously, a kid involved or a kid that was injured, but I will tell you that the car ride home was very somber."

Daniels said she and her son would like to see metal detectors at the school.

The investigation is ongoing.

NOTE: Police released the name of the suspect. Spectrum Bay News 9 is not identifying the suspect per our crime guidelines.