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4 Teens Stabbed by Schoolmate Outside P.S. 35, NYPD Says

By  Trevor Kapp Aidan Gardiner and Maya Rajamani | May 24, 2017 2:33pm | Updated on May 25, 2017 7:57am

 The three victims, who are all male, were stabbed outside 888 Eighth Ave., officials said.
The three victims, who are all male, were stabbed outside 888 Eighth Ave., officials said.
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DNAinfo/Trevor Kapp

HELL'S KITCHEN — Four teenagers were stabbed by a rival outside P.S. 35 on Wednesday afternoon, the bloody culmination of a feud that began last week, police said.

The victims, who range in age from 15 to 18 years old, were stabbed and slashed outside 317 W. 52nd St., near Eighth Avenue, about 1:40 p.m., an NYPD spokesman said.

"I heard screaming. School safety [officers] came, police, firemen and then finally an ambulance. Plainclothes officers were running up toward 54th," said a 24-year-old man who works in nearby 888 Eighth Ave., but declined to share his name.

At least one of the boys fled toward the avenue but collapsed outside the building, witnesses said.

"There was blood all over his shirt. He was in a lot of pain, groaning. He was all hunched over. They put him on a stretcher and took him. It was a sad sight," the worker said.

Juan Gomez, 16, was later arrested and charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

He had gotten into a fight with the 15-year-old victim last week and both were suspended from P.S. 35, the NYPD said.

Wednesday was the two students' first day back at the school following their suspensions. 

It was not clear if the other three victims were also students at the school.

The 15-year-old was stabbed twice and was in surgery as of Wednesday afternoon, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said.

All victims were treated at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center for injuries that weren't considered life-threatening, officials said.

The 16-year-old was stabbed in the stomach and back, a 17-year-old was sliced in the ear, and an 18-year-old's left arm was wounded, police said.

Police recovered a knife in a backpack at the scene, Boyce said.

Gomez, who lives in Washington Heights, has at least nine prior arrests, including for burglary, robbery and assault, police said Thursday.

"The safety of students and staff is our top priority," added Department of Education spokeswoman Toya Holness.

"We are working closely with the NYPD to investigate this serious incident."