Girl, 13, charged with felony assault after St. Paul charter school stabbing

A 13-year-old girl who allegedly stabbed a male classmate at their St. Paul charter school on Monday has been charged with felony assault, authorities said.

Officers responded to Community of Peace Academy, at 471 Magnolia Av., just after 11 a.m. on a report of a 13-year-old boy suffering from a stab wound to the stomach. The boy was taken to Regions Hospital with injuries that weren't life-threatening, said police spokesman Sgt. Mike Ernster.

The girl, who authorities say used a folding knife to carry out the attack, was immediately taken into custody. It remains unclear what provoked the incident.

"It's under investigation what led to the altercation," Ernster said.

On Tuesday, the child was charged in Ramsey County District Court with second-degree assault, a felony. However, the girl's name and details of her case have not been released because of her age.

Community of Peace Academy has more than 800 students ranging from prekindergarten to 12th grade, according to the school's website. It was founded in 1995.

Executive Director David Nunez said in a statement that the suspect left school grounds following the incident, but was soon apprehended by police. He said they will "exercise discipline in strict accordance to school policy."

The incident prompted the school to go on lockdown, restricting students to their classrooms, the statement said. A "social worker team" later provided crisis counseling to students, and parents were notified by telephone and e-mail. The school also held an all-staff meeting about the incident.

"We are a community built around peace," Nunez added. "We are a community where relationships are valued, and because cooperation and partnership are key to ensuring a safe school environment, we wish to take this opportunity to encourage all members of our community to reach out immediately if they were to ever become aware of threats to the school, its students or staff."