one student required emergency surgery to remove part of a lung
In Tacoma, Washington, a dispute over something as small as a stolen vape pen cascaded into a moment of serious violence, leaving five people wounded at Foss High School and one student fighting for breath on a surgical table. A fellow student, Waleed Emad Essakhi, now faces four counts of first-degree assault as an adult — a legal threshold that speaks to the gravity with which the courts are treating this rupture in a place meant for learning. The incident reminds us how quickly unresolved grievances, carried from one day into the next, can transform ordinary school hallways into sites of crisis.
- A vape pen stolen at a skatepark the day before became the spark — four students arrived at school the next afternoon seeking retribution, and a knife changed everything.
- Five people were left bleeding: four students and a security guard who tried to intervene, with one victim requiring emergency surgery to remove part of a lung.
- Foss High School locked its doors at 1:38 p.m., holding students inside for over an hour as the campus shifted from school to crisis scene to family reunification site.
- Essakhi, who had transferred to Foss after bullying and fights at a previous school, was arrested shortly after the incident and charged as an adult — a not guilty plea entered, bail set at $75,000.
- The school canceled classes the following day and deployed counselors, while the courts set a jury trial for June 17, leaving the community to absorb the weight of what happened.
On a Thursday afternoon in Tacoma, a fight at Foss High School left five people stabbed — four students and a security guard who stepped in to stop it. The most critically injured student required emergency surgery to remove a portion of his lung; another underwent surgery for a deep arm wound. The school locked down at 1:38 p.m., and students were held inside for more than an hour before being released to their families.
The charged student, Waleed Emad Essakhi, was arrested shortly after the incident. According to court documents, the conflict traced back to the previous day, when Essakhi allegedly took a vape pen from another student at a skatepark. The next day, four of that student's friends confronted him at school. Surveillance footage shows Essakhi reaching into his pocket as they approached; a witness described him as provoking the encounter. None of the four who confronted him were armed.
Essakhi's mother told authorities he had recently transferred to Foss after being bullied and fighting at his previous school — a detail that adds texture without excusing what followed. He was charged in Pierce County Superior Court with four counts of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon and will be tried as an adult. A not guilty plea was entered at arraignment, with bail set at $75,000.
The prosecuting attorney cited "volatile behavior" in arguing for high bail, and the judge agreed. The school district made counselors available and canceled classes the next day. An omnibus hearing is set for June 1, with a jury trial scheduled to begin June 17.
On Thursday afternoon at Foss High School in Tacoma, Washington, a fight broke out that left five people bleeding. Four students and a security guard were stabbed. One of the students had to be rushed into emergency surgery to have part of a lung removed. Another needed surgery for a cut on his arm. The school locked its doors at 1:38 p.m. Students didn't leave until after 2:45 p.m.
The person charged in connection with the stabbing is Waleed Emad Essakhi, a student at the school. He was arrested shortly after the incident and charged in Pierce County Superior Court with four counts of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon. The court determined he would be tried as an adult. During his arraignment, a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. His bail was set at $75,000.
According to court documents, the trouble started the day before at a skatepark, where Essakhi allegedly took a vape pen from another student. The next day, four of that student's friends confronted him at school in retaliation. Court surveillance footage shows Essakhi pulling an object from his pocket as the four students moved toward him. One witness said Essakhi was "egging them on" to fight, slapping his own face as he did. None of the four students who approached him were armed.
When staff members and a security guard tried to break up the fight, they too were injured. The students sustained stab wounds and cut lips. The security guard was cut on his arm. The severity of injuries varied—some were critical, others less so—but two victims required surgery.
Essakhi's mother told authorities that her son had recently transferred to Foss High School after being bullied and getting into fights at his previous school. The transfer, it seems, did not resolve the underlying tensions.
During the hearing, deputy prosecuting attorney Lena Berberich-Eerebout expressed concern about releasing Essakhi. "While these are just allegations at this time, the allegations are concerning," she said. "The state has severe concerns for community safety due to his volatile behavior, and release high bail is appropriate." The judge agreed, setting bail at $75,000.
The school district responded by making counselors available to students and staff. Classes and activities were canceled the following day. The campus itself served as a reunification site where families could pick up their children. An omnibus hearing is scheduled for June 1, with a jury trial set to begin on June 17.
Notable Quotes
While these are just allegations at this time, the allegations are concerning. The state has severe concerns for community safety due to his volatile behavior, and release high bail is appropriate.— Deputy prosecuting attorney Lena Berberich-Eerebout
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What started this? A vape pen seems like an odd thing to stab someone over.
It wasn't really about the vape pen. That was just the spark. The pen was stolen at a skatepark the day before, and the next day four friends of the student who lost it came looking for payback. Essakhi pulled a knife. That's when it became a stabbing.
Did he bring the knife to school expecting trouble?
We don't know that. The court documents say he pulled an object from his pocket, but they don't say whether he brought it intending to use it or whether it was something he had on him. What we do know is that when four people came at him, he used it.
The fact that his mother mentioned bullying and fights at his previous school—does that matter legally?
It might matter at trial, depending on how his defense team uses it. Right now it's context. He transferred because of problems elsewhere. Then this happened at his new school. Whether that history makes him more sympathetic or more dangerous is something the jury will have to decide.
One student had to have emergency lung surgery. That's serious.
Very serious. That's the kind of injury that could have killed him. It's why the prosecutor pushed for high bail and why the judge set it at $75,000. The state is treating this as a volatile situation with real danger.
What happens now?
He waits. His trial is in mid-June. Until then, he's in custody unless someone posts his bail. The school is trying to help students process what happened. Everyone's waiting to see how this plays out in court.