BELTON, Texas (FOX 44) – UPDATE: A family friend has confirmed to FOX 44 News that the victim of a stabbing at Belton High School Tuesday morning has died. An ambulance rushed Joe Ramirez to Baylor Scott and White in Temple minutes after the incident. He went into surgery, but doctors were not able to repair the damage.
The suspect in the stabbing is 18-year-old Caysen Tyler Allison. He is being held in the Bell County Jail on a third-degree felony.
Around 9:47 a.m., Belton Police responded to a call about the stabbing. Officers say it started as an altercation in one of the bathrooms. The school was placed on lockdown at this time. After the stabbing, police say Allison ran out of the school and left the area. Police found him and took him into custody at around 10:09 a.m.
Belton High School started releasing students classroom by classroom before noon. A reunification center for students and parents was set up at Tiger Stadium.
Belton ISD Superintendent Dr. Matt Smith released a video on Facebook to update parents about the situation.
Belton Police Chief Gene Ellis released a video Tuesday afternoon, saying there is a “thorough investigation to make sure the person responsible for this is brought to justice.” The Temple Police Department is assisting in this case.
Belton High School also sent the following letter to parents on Tuesday afternoon:
“Today’s events are something none of us ever want to experience. Students were involved in an altercation that led to a student being stabbed. First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and their family. The other student involved has been detained by law enforcement officers.
“We believe this was an isolated incident, but as a precaution our school went into lock down and we kept students in their classrooms.
“I appreciate the swift actions of the Belton Police Department to ensure our school was quickly secured. I also want to thank our students and staff for their cooperation. I am so proud of our students and how they have responded thus far.
“Safety is a major priority for Belton High School and Belton ISD. We will continue to work with our law enforcement agencies to address this incident and the on-going investigation, as well as to ensure the safety and security of everyone moving forward.
“If you have any additional information about this incident, please contact the Belton Police Department.
“I know there are questions about our schedule for tomorrow and the remainder of the week. I will be sending out a separate email with this information later.
“Thank you, in advance, for your understanding and support.”
Congressman John Carter tweeted out his support for the stabbing victim.
At this time, police are not releasing details on what led to the stabbing, only that it was the result of an altercation between the two. We will continue to update this story as more information comes in.
Classes at Belton High School have been canceled for Wednesday.
