A 17-year-old boy has been charged with three counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) following an incident at Birley Academy in Sheffield that left three people injured.
The teenager, who has also been charged with possession of a blade or sharply pointed article on a school premises, is set to appear at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court this morning.
South Yorkshire Police were called to the school at around 8.50am on Wednesday following reports of an incident involving a sharp object.
Two women in their 20s and a child suffered minor injuries as a result of this incident but did not require hospital treatment.
People living in the Birley area say they are ‘overwhelmed and shocked’ after hearing about the incident.
Chelsea Bruce, 33, the mother of a pupil at Birley Academy, said: “You don’t know what’s going on when the school messages you, just saying that there’s been an incident.”
Many parents expressed their fears about their children’s safety.
Ms Bruce said: “It makes you wonder if your kids are safe.”
Ms Bruce went on to express her fears about her son’s wellbeing following the incident. When asked on Wednesday if she would be sending him back to school the following day, she said: “I don’t think I’m sending him tomorrow. You don’t know how he’s going to be like tonight – if he’s going to get nightmares.”
She said her son may need “some time to focus on what has happened”.
Many people were shocked due to the area being generally perceived as a friendly, calm neighbourhood.
Sandra Rippon, 79, said: “It’s not something that happens really around here, and I’ve lived here many years.”
She added that many parents were reportedly driving back and forth from the school to collect their children.
Ms Rippon said: “It was like wacky races with cars going up and down.”
Following the incident, South Yorkshire Police are conducting a series of proactive patrols in the area. They encourage any residents with any concerns or queries to speak to officers while they are out and about in the Birley area.
