12-year-old boy in stable condition after stabbing at North Monterey Middle School.

A torrent of mass shootings in the country has made school violence seem commonplace, but any violence involving children remains shocking.

Monterey County got its own shock on Monday, March 5, when a 12-year-old boy stabbed another 12-year-old boy at North Monterey County Middle School in Castroville.

The injured boy was flown by helicopter to a trauma center in the San Francisco Bay Area with injuries described as “life threatening” by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office immediately after the incident. By Tuesday, a day later, his condition was listed as “stable.”

Why it happened is still unknown, according to Sheriff’s Cmdr. Joseph Banuelos. He says it started around 8:30am Monday morning in the quad area of the school with a fight between two boys.

One boy pulled a type of kitchen knife, around 5.5 to 6 inches, and stabbed a third boy in the upper torso at least once, Banuelos says.

The boy with the knife then started threatening others around him by waving the knife around and telling them to stay away.

The injured boy was pulled from the area, and Principal Marisa Martinez attempted to talk to the boy with the knife. A Snapchat video circulating online show’s the tense scene.

As the student-turned-suspect’s attention was diverted, a school janitor tackled him from behind, Banuelos says. A physical education teacher then wrested the knife from the boy’s hand.

“There’s no other word than hero [for the janitor]," Banuelos says. 

“If it wasn’t for the fast action by these administrators and school staff, other kids definitely could have been harmed."

Deputies arrived on the scene at 8:45 to find the suspect already secured inside the principal’s office.

School administrators made the call at 8:49 to have students shelter in place so that a helicopter could land at the school to transport the injured boy.

Ana De Castro, a school district spokesperson, says a message was sent to parents at 9:12am informing them of the shelter-in-place order.

The order was rescinded at 9:45am, and parents were informed it was over 10 minutes later.

At that point the school resumed its normal schedule for the day, De Castro says.

The suspect was arrested by sheriff’s deputies and transported to Monterey County Juvenile Hall.

Tuesday was a “normal day” at the school, says De Castro, with both the district psychologist and the psychiatrist on the campus to help any students or staff who wanted help coping with the violent incident.

“It’s the biggest thing we’re working on right now. If they need support, we’re here to help them,” she says.

As for how to move forward in the wake of the incident administrators are exploring different options, including a meeting with parents, to help families and students “feel safe and be able to express themselves.”