Teen walks into Everett High School, pepper sprays students

Published 4:00 pm Thursday, April 20, 2023

EVERETT — A teenager walked on to the Everett High School campus and pepper sprayed two female students, leading to an arrest for felony assault, according to police.

Around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, a school security guard witnessed a young woman, 19, enter the cafeteria and shoot “a stream of liquid” at two students, according to a police report. The guard told police it happened too fast for him to intervene, but he was able to detain the attacker afterward.

The 19-year-old later claimed her friend was in a dispute with the two students, and she went to the school to confront them, police said.

Typically, all visitors must check in with the office, according to Everett Public Schools. A friend, who was a current student, brought the alleged assailant into the school, and she “blended into the student population,” school district spokesperson Kathy Reeves said.

Reeves said she could not disclose any details about potential discipline for the current student.

The teen had no known association with the school, police said. Everett High School has a campus that spans several city blocks. It is monitored by staff, administration, security personnel and a school resource officer.

Both students required medical attention. Police reported the students were wailing, coughing and in “substantial” pain. The students had their faces rinsed with milk and water, but it was not necessary to transport them to the hospital, Reeves said. They were unable to complete statements to officers until hours after the assault, police said.

After being detained, the Everett teen was taken to the principal’s office. She had a lanyard with a can of “SABRE” pepper spray attached to it, according to the report. Police noted the safety switch on the can was turned off.

Police wrote the suspect “seemed indifferent” when asked why she would enter a high school to start a confrontation.

“Our schools always have safety top of mind and focus on keeping our students safe while they are at school,” Reeves said. “While this incident was the result of a long-standing feud between the suspect and the two other students, the staff continues to remain vigilant for the safety of all our students.”

Officers arrested the woman for investigation of two counts of third-degree assault, a felony. In court Thursday, Everett District Court Judge Anthony Howard found probable cause and set bail at $20,000.

Two additional charges of intimidating any adminstrator, teacher, classified employee, or student by threat of force or violence were thrown out by prosecutors because it was referred under the wrong statute, prosecutors said.

Jonathan Tall: 425-339-3486; jonathan.tall@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EDHJonTall.