SCHOOL STABBING

Kids told to cover up their uniforms

Parents of students at a college where a teenager was stabbed by an alleged rival group are covering up their children’s school uniform out of fear they will be targeted.

Students from De La Salle College in Ma¯ngere East, South Auckland, were set upon on Friday afternoon by what is understood to be teenagers and men connected to another Auckland secondary school.

One boy from De La Salle was stabbed in the stomach, while another student was also hospitalised for injuries to his head.

The mother of a teen at De La Salle told the Herald of the fear she has for her son and the moves she and other parents had taken to make sure their kids got to school safely yesterday.

“My son’s wearing a [different jacket] and I told him he’s not to show his La Salle jumper on the train.”

She and other parents had banded together to ensure all their boys were dropped off at the train station by an adult — who stayed with them until the train left.

Arrangements had also been made for her son to be picked up after school directly outside the college gates.

The mother of the teen, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was genuinely fearful about sending her children to school yesterday.

The woman had witnessed Friday’s attack after what she felt was a divine intervention made her go to the college to pick up her son after he texted her that he had to stay late.

After parking near a zebra crossing outside the college shortly before 4.30pm, she noticed a large group of teenage boys and men standing opposite the school gates.

She guessed there were up to 20 boys and men “who looked like they could be their uncles” all wearing ordinary clothes.

“As soon as [my son] got in the car, the boys just ran across the road.

“That’s when I saw some of them had wooden planks. They had two planks from what I could see.

“They were just charging at these innocent little kids and I just saw them falling.”

The mother said any student who was wearing the De La Salle uniform and happened to be standing outside at that moment was targeted.

“I saw them leaning back and take cover. It was like a movie.”

Principal Myles Hogarty declined to comment. The other school whose students are thought to be those involved said “no comment” when approached by the Herald.

Meanwhile, police investigating the attack on students at De La Salle College say it is “incredibly fortunate” no one died in the incident.

Officers were called to the college just before 4.30pm on Friday after a large group thought to be from another Auckland secondary school attacked students coming out of the school gates.

In an update from authorities, Counties Manukau police area commander Matt Srhoj said it was lucky they were not dealing with fatalities.

Police said CCTV security footage in the area is being carefully analysed.

More officers will also be out and about in the area over the coming days as a result of the incident.