A 16-year-old Denver high school student is being held on suspicion of fatally stabbing a fellow student last week in what is believed to be the school district’s first homicide.
Contrell Townsend, 17, died shortly after being stabbed in the cafeteria of Montbello High School on Jan. 4, said Denver police spokeswoman Teresa Garcia.
A male student who had argued with Mr. Townsend just before the stabbing fled the school, but later surrendered to police, according to the Rocky Mountain News. He was being held in a juvenile-detention facility. As of late last week, charges had not been filed.
James F. Scherer, one of the young man’s lawyers, contended during a bail hearing that his client had acted in self defense, and had brought a knife to school because he had been bullied lately.
Police and school district officials were still investigating the incident.
