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Motive Remains Unclear For Stabbing Attack At Franklin Regional High School

MURRYSVILLE (KDKA) -- Investigators continue to search for clues as to what may have provoked a 16-year-old Franklin Regional High School student allegedly to go on a violent rampage early Wednesday morning.

More than 20 students and a security guard were stabbed and slashed at the school in Murrysville.

Alex Hribal remains in a juvenile detention facility in Westmoreland County.

His lawyer, Pat Thomassey, visited Hribal there Thursday, and then was asked if he thought bullying may have been a motive for the rampage.

"It's going to take a lot of probing and discussion to flush that out, but I think there's some of that [bullying] here," said Thomassey. "I don't know if that's the reason, but I think in all schools, there's some of that."

Police and the Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck refuse to speculate or comment on a motive.

Franklin Regional School Superintendent Dr. Gennaro Piraino said that when the school district has a bullying situation, they deal with it.

One Franklin student, Brandon Lawson, says there is a bullying program in the school, but he thinks it should be more strictly enforced.

He added that not all kids who have issues going on are going to go to teachers and ask for help.

Franklin Regional High School could reopen next week.

Police turned the school building back over to the district today, after it was processed for evidence following the mass stabbing.

RELATED LINKS:
Suspect's Lawyer: "Some Aspects" Of Bullying May Have Prompted Stabbing (4/10/14)
More Franklin Regional News
More Reports by Ralph Iannotti

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