A teenager suspected of stabbing a student on the grounds of the Tarrant Comprehensive High School in Kingston two weeks ago is now in police custody.

He was handed over to officers by his parents after allegedly admitting that he had stabbed the teenager – a student of the Haile Selassie Comprehensive High School.

In the meantime, the injured teenager, identified only as ‘Josimar’, was yesterday still in the intensive care unit of the Kingston Public Hospital in a critical condition.

Josimar was injured during an attack at the school which also left a student, 15-year-old Gary Pierce and 30-year-old Donovan McLean dead. Both were shot metres from the school gate by gun-toting teenagers dressed in black.

McLean was shot after he begged the armed youths to spare Pierce’s life, police say.

Josimar’s attacker stabbed him after he fled as Pierce was being peppered with bullets by his attackers. The teenager reportedly stomped on Josimar’s head a number of times after he lay on the ground bleeding. He only stopped after onlookers told him that Josimar had died. The knife used in the attack was broken at the hilt.

The police said yesterday that the teenager in custody has been a member of a deadly gang which has been wreaking havoc at Tarrant and in their communities.

“They are very deadly. Most of them have not passed the age of 14 but they are versed in the use of firearms and at least one of them is known to lead a gang in a troubled St Andrew community,” a police officer who did not wish to be identified said.

The cops said Josimar was a regular visitor to the Tarrant school as he had several friends there.

A day after the murders of Pierce and Salmon, police from the St Andrew Central, took in six students of the school for questioning. They have since been released.

The six students were said to be among 25 expelled by the administration at the school after authorities could no longer tolerate their unruly behaviour. Six of the 25 expelled students were girls.

Steven Simpson, a guidance counsellor at Tarrant, said the students were found in possession of ganja and knives and displayed anti-social behaviour. He said that despite several warnings the students chose not to heed.

“They are repeat offenders who have been warned many times. The girls are always involved in conflicts,” Simpson said.

Located off Molynes Road in Kingston, Tarrant is one of the recently upgraded high schools and majority of its students are from poor communities in Kingston.

“The majority are from low income families. Many are from homes without fathers and the mothers cannot cope. They don’t know how to handle the situation,” Simpson told the Observer.

In an attempt to stem the rising tide of anti-social behaviour by the students, Simpson said the school would be implementing parenting workshops.

“Our major concern is a parenting one. We think the greatest problem is in the home so come September all grade seven parents will undergo training,” Simpson said.