A California high school went on lockdown over the weekend when the suspect in a stabbing fled to its campus, according to the Downey Police Department. At the same time, another offender took off with an ambulance from the scene of the crime.
Events leading to the apprehension of the suspect at Downey High School began around 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Officers were called to the Downey Library at approximately 9:38 a.m., where a stabbing victim was reported in front of the building.
Witnesses reported that the suspect – identified as a 23-year-old transient male – fled on foot to the high school. He was taken into custody without incident there.
However, more trouble was brewing in front of the library, where the stabbing victim succumbed to their injuries, according to police. As of Sunday, police were withholding the victim’s identify pending notification of next-of-kin.
While emergency responders were tending to the victim, another male suspect who unrelated to the stabbing – identified as a 52-year-old male and resident of Los Angeles – stole a Downey Fire Department ambulance. He allegedly led law enforcement on a chase from Downey past Los Angeles to Alhambra, a city located a bit north of L.A. There, the suspect crashed the ambulance into a parked vehicle and was subsequently arrested.
“Detectives from the Downey Police Department are actively investigating both incidents and following all available leads,” police said Sunday. “These incidents appear to be isolated, and the investigations are ongoing.”
This incident comes on the heels of several crimes that have received significant media attention: the stabbing of Iryna Zarutska in North Carolina, the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, a school shooting in Minnesota and another school shooting in Colorado.