YOUR AD HERE »

14-year-old boy slashes girl’s throat at western Colorado high school

Alan Gathright
Rocky Mountain News

MONTROSE, Colorado ” A boy slashed the throat of a 17-year-old girl at Montrose High School in Colorado today as students readying for class watched in horror.

The victim, identified as Mallory Haulman by the Montrose Daily Press, was in serious condition after undergoing surgery at a local hospital.

“Our student is out of surgery and in serious condition with a favorable outlook,” said Linda Gann, spokeswoman for Montrose County School District Re-1J.



The girl is a softball player, an A student and “just about as good a kid as you will ever meet,” said Stephen Woody, publisher of the Montrose Free Press, and a friend of the family.

Mallory’s father, Denny, is production manager at the newspaper and her mother, Alicia, is an ICU nurse, Woody said.

Support Local Journalism



“I’m told she is in ICU, is recovering and is going to do well,” said Woody.

Initial information is that the attacker was a 14-year-old boy who has had a troubled past, Woody said.

Gann said the boy, who was arrested within 30 minutes, was not a student at the high school.

Montrose Police Chief Tom Chinn said the boy ran from the scene, but was spotted almost immediately by a patrol officer, who gave chase, cornering him at Townsend and South Third Street, the Daily Press reported.

“As soon as he saw the police car, he was running,” Chinn said. “By the time I arrived, he was proned out on the ground” and cuffed.

Chinn said investigators are still trying to determine a motive, the Daily Press said. It was not known if the victim and attacker knew one another.

The stabbing was reported about 8 a.m. as hallways where thick with student readying for classes to start.

“So there were quite a few students who witnessed the attack, which is of course very troubling to those of us who care about children,” Gann said.

She credited school staffers for quickly providing first-aid to the bleeding girl.

“There was some real heroism on the part our staff members who assisted the victim until medical personnel could arrive,” Gann said.

The school went into lockdown to protect students until the suspect was arrested.

Then all 1,400 students were carefully returned home for the day, she added. Some students returned home on buses and others were escorted to their parked cars. Parents were called to pick up those students who needed a ride home.

School officials are holding a 7 p.m. meeting for parents and community members in the school gymnasium to explain what happened and answer questions.

Counselors will be available when students and staff return Wednesday, Gann said.

Police asked anyone with information about the assault to call the department at 970-252-5200.


Support Local Journalism