La Spezia - A bloody incident shook the „Domenico Chiodo“ vocational institute in the Ligurian port city of La Spezia on Friday morning. An 18-year-old student was attacked with a knife during class time by a fellow student and critically injured. The incident occurred at around 11:00 a.m. and left the entire school community and the town in a state of shock.
Escalation of an argument about a girl
According to initial police investigations, the altercation began in the school's toilets and then moved into the corridor. The investigators assume that a trivial argument, possibly about a young woman, was the trigger for the crime. According to reports, the suspected perpetrator had already sent the victim a threatening message on Wednesday saying „I'll kill you tomorrow“. The police were able to recover the murder weapon and arrested a classmate at the scene of the crime. He is currently being questioned by the authorities in order to clarify the exact course of events and motive beyond doubt.
Emergency surgery and sympathy at the hospital
The victim, an 18-year-old with Italian citizenship, suffered several stab wounds to his chest and spleen. After massive blood loss and a temporary cardiac arrest, the emergency doctors on site managed to stabilize the young man. He immediately underwent a delicate emergency operation lasting several hours at Sant'Andrea Hospital. Although the operation was successful according to the surgeons treating him, the student's condition remains critical and his prognosis uncertain. Around 50 classmates and family members gathered outside the hospital in the afternoon to express their solidarity.
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara also expressed his deep dismay at the event and emphasized that violence in schools must not be tolerated under any circumstances. Schools must remain a place of respect and dialog. While the state police investigation continues, the whole of La Spezia hopes that the young man will make a speedy recovery.
