Police are searching for two suspects who allegedly stabbed two teenagers near John Adams High School in Ozone Park on Tuesday.
According to police from the 106th Precinct, an unidentified man and woman approached the 16- and 17-year old boys in front of the high school on 102nd Street and Rockaway Boulevard just before 10:30 a.m. on March 15.
The man pulled out a “sharp cutting instrument” and stabbed the 16-year-old once in the leg and once in the back and the 17-year-old several times in the abdomen, police said. The pair then fled on foot in an unknown direction.
Reports said that the teens sought refuge at John Adams High School, where the two are currently students. The school then went into a shelter-in-place.
EMS responded to the scene and transported the younger teen to Long Island Jewish Medical Center in stable condition. The older teen was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in critical but stable condition.
The New York Post reported that the school sent letters home to parents from the principal saying that the safety of the students and staff “remains our highest priority.”
“Two of our scholars were assaulted and sought shelter inside school,” Principal Pedro Cubero said in the letter.
The DOE released a statement on Tuesday following the attack.
“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and John Adams provided sanctuary to the two victims and went into a brief shelter-in after an off-campus incident. We are working closely with the NYPD on their ongoing investigation, and offering additional supports to the students and school,” said a DOE spokesperson.
The first suspect is a man described as having a dark complexion. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants and light-colored slippers with dark-colored socks.
The second suspect is a woman with a dark complexion, approximately 5 feet tall. She was last seen wearing a light-colored sweatshirt, light-colored sweatpants and a red hat. She was also last seen carrying a purple jacket.
Police released surveillance footage of the pair walking together.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are strictly confidential.
