MANCHESTER, Jamaica —Member of Parliament for Manchester Central, Rhoda Crawford, has condemned the murder of 20-year-old student Akeilia White at the Catholic College of Mandeville in Williamsfield on Monday.

White was stabbed to death in an incident involving two other students. Preliminary reports suggest that the three students were engaged in a confrontation when a schoolboy inflicted stab wounds on a male student and a female student.

Both injured students were taken to the hospital where the female was pronounced dead, and the other student was hospitalised.

READ: WATCH: Female student stabbed to death in Manchester

A 17-year-old boy, identified as the suspect, has since been taken into police custody following the incident.

In a statement on Monday afternoon, Crawford described the incident as “heartbreaking.”

“The incident has sent shockwaves through the school and wider community, plunging us into a state of mourning. Our immediate thoughts are with the families of the students affected, the students who witnessed the events, and the broader school family. I have personally reached out to the Minister of Education and Youth, alerting her to this devastating incident,” she said.

Crawford also wished for the speedy recovery of the student who was hospitalised while underscoring the need for conflict resolution strategies.

“These events underscore the urgent need for unity in our collective effort against crime and violence and highlight the importance of prioritising conflict resolution strategies within our schools and communities,” she said.

Crawford added that she remains committed to working closely with parents, school authorities, law enforcement, the church and other critical stakeholders to strengthen the quest to make schools and communities safer.