Stabbing at Zagreb High School leaves two injured

A stabbing at the Electrical Engineering School in Zagreb's Voltino neighborhood this morning has left one student with life-threatening injuries and a female staff member seriously wounded. The attacker, also a student, is in police custody.

Zagreb police said a criminal investigation and on-site inquiry are underway. Unofficial reports indicate that the students involved are both 15 years old.

Fran Borovečki, Director of the University Hospital Centre Zagreb, said on Friday that the injured student underwent surgery for severe stab wounds to the chest and abdomen.

"We received a severely injured child with stab wounds to the thorax and abdomen. The injuries can be characterized as life-thretening. What I can say is that the operation procedure went well. The child is stable. Our multi-disciplinary team are monitoring his condition and are providing him with all necessary care," said Borovečki.

Borovečki stressed the student's condition is currently stable, although the injuries are severe.

The injured staff member was taken to the Sisters of Charity Hospital, where she underwent surgery for bleeding and air in the chest cavity. She was then transferred to intensive care and is currently stable, although doctors warned that possible late complications could be life-threatening.

"This morning we received a female patient with stab wounds to her abdominal and chest cavity, and extremities. She was operated on to resolve complications from the injuries, such as internal bleeding and removing air from the chest cavity. After the operation she was transferred to the intensive care unit and is currently in stable condition," said Dr. Mladen Širanović. 

Ivana Pavić Šimetin, the Ministry of Science and Education's national coordinator for crisis teams, said crisis intervention had begun at the school and would continue through the weekend.