KDKA-TV
Alex Hribal
Alex Hribal
Alex Hribal
Alex Hribal
Alex Hribal

Former student enters guilty plea for 2014 knife attack that injured 21 at Pennsylvania high school

Oct. 25, 2017
Alex Hribal used 2 kitchen knives to injure 20 students and a security guard at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville.

A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty to attempted homicide and aggravated assault in the April 2014 knife attack at a high school that wounded 20 students and a security guard.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Alex Hribal, has been in custody since he was charged in the attack at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pa., where he was a student.

Hribal was 16 on April 9, 2014, when he slashed or stabbed 20 students and a security guard with two kitchen knives in a hallway of the school. Four students suffered life-threatening injuries, but all survived.

Defense experts who evaluated Hribal in 2014 said at the time that he suffered from depression and had characteristics associated with schizophrenia. During Tuesday's hearing, Hribal told the judge he has been taking an anti-depressant.

District Attorney John Peck says he will support a 30-to-60 year sentence. Peck met last week with victims and their families to discuss the developments in the case.

"The victims are going to live with that trauma for a very long time," Peck says. "Maybe longer than Mr. Hribal serves a sentence in prison."

Sponsored Recommendations

How to design flexible learning spaces that teachers love and use

Unlock the potential of flexible learning spaces with expert guidance from school districts and educational furniture providers. Discover how to seamlessly integrate adaptive ...

Blurring the Lines in Education Design: K–12 to Higher Ed to Corporate America

Discover the seamless integration of educational and corporate design principles, shaping tomorrow's leaders from kindergarten to boardroom. Explore innovative classroom layouts...

Room to Learn: Furniture Solutions for Education

Preparing students for the future. Utilizing our experience in the education market, we offer a dynamic selection of products that pair technology with furniture to help stimulate...

Transforming Education: A Case Study in Progressive Classroom Design

Discover how Workspace Interiors and the Baldwin School District reshaped learning environments in Long Island, New York, creating pedagogically responsive spaces that foster ...