Killian High Stabbing Victim Expected To Be "Okay"
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KENDALL (CBSMiami) - The attorney for family of a student stabbed at Miami Killian Senior High has released a picture of the teen now in the hospital.
The picture shows 15-year-old DeAndre Johnson, lying in a bed at the Nicklaus Children's Hospital.
Johnson's family attorney, Judd Rosen, said the boy is talking and he's expected to be okay, but that wasn't always the case.
"His prognosis last night was on death's doorstep," Rosen told CBS4's Lauren Pastrana Wednesday night. "His prognosis today is that he's going to survive and we don't know what kind of recovery he's going to make."
Rosen said Johnson is scared and shocked.
He said the boy claims he was not friends with his attacker and has no idea why he was targeted.
"He's still in a tremendous amount of pain and a tremendous amount of shock about these circumstances and how his life was really inches from being taken from him," Rosen said.
Click here to watch Lauren Pastrana's report.
The suspect in the stabbing appeared before a judge in juvenile court by her mother's side Wednesday.
During the hearing, the public defender in the case asked the judge to release the 17-year-old 12th grader from secure detention and instead place her under house arrest with an electronic ankle bracelet.
"She's not a flight risk by any means. This is her first-ever interaction with the criminal justice system," the public defender said.
But the judge decided to keep the suspect locked up for the next 21-days as the state decides how they will proceed with her case.
"If they're going to be filling charges and where they're going to be filling them--if it's going to be here in juvenile court or in adult court," said Judge Maria de Jesus Santovenia.
After the hearing, the suspect's family attorney said he's looking into allegations that she was being bullied at Killian--which only added to the trauma she allegedly suffered at her former school Keys Gate Charter High School.
"There were allegations that she was raped by two football players at her previous school and there's an ongoing legal matter with regard to that," Jeff Herman said.
The school district said it was not aware of the alleged assault that happened at the suspect's former school or any other issues.
"I think there should have been some notice on behalf of the school and the school board that this girl had a history of problems and was a ticking time bomb," Rosen said. "Why was she transferred from this charter school to Killian and not given the counseling that she obviously needed?"
As students, parents and faculty made their way to school Wednesday morning, the incident was on the forefront of many minds.
"It's very concerning. You don't know if it's going to be them in the path of danger," said Orlando Rodriguez, a father of a student at Killian.
The stabbing occurred in the school cafeteria.
Cell phone video taken by a student after the stabbing shows what appears to be the suspect being taken away by school police.
"It was pretty scary but it can happen at any school," said student Andrea Diaz.
Superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools Alberto Carvalho visited the high school first thing Wednesday morning to speak with students, and staff, about the incident.
"My message was a simple one; number one, I am here to demonstrate my own compassion and solidarity. I know you are in pain, I am in pain, there are 10 trained crisis counselors in school right now for you speak about your pain. Manifest your feelings and don't keep them inside take pride in your school," Carvalho said outside the school.
Carvalho, using the Public Address system, reminded the school that the stabbing was an isolated incident and that Killian is a safe place. He also commended how the situation was handled.
Carvalho, via Twitter, said he was "Grateful for the opportunity to have visited and prayed with brave @miamikilliansr [Killian High] student and family in hospital. #staystrong #knation.
