Kayla Green: Cheerleader fatally stabbed by teen girl armed with knife she had shown off on social media, police say
Police officer intervened as youngster was stabbed in back and side
A New York cheerleader was fatally stabbed at a school parade by a 15-year-old girl armed with a knife she had shown off on social media.
Kayla Green, 16, was attacked after she took part in a celebration of Mount Vernon’s state championship basketball team.
Police say that as she left the event an argument unfolded a few blocks away and she was allegedly attacked by the 15-year-old girl.
Prosecutors allege that the suspect, who has not been named because of her age, was armed with a knife that she had earlier shown off on social media.
A Mount Vernon police officer intervened in the incident but Green was stabbed in the back and side.
Investigators later tracked down the 15-year-old suspect in nearby Dobbs Ferry after the FBI tracked her cellphone. Prosecutors claim that the suspect tried to hide evidence, including the knife, as she fled the scene following the stabbing.
Green’s family has claimed that the suspect had a history of bullying their daughter.
“Kayla was a beautiful big sister and a special young woman with dreams and ambitions of becoming a doctor one day. She was a cheerleader, a captain, an inspiration,” said Shannae Haywood, a spokesperson for the family.
“We want to thank the police officer that risked his life to stop a mob of misguided, violent teens. We thank him and his partner for recognising that Kayla needed life-saving treatment and their efforts to save her have not gone unnoticed.”
Her coach, Mikeya Knox added: “Kayla had plans. She wanted to go to Morgan State University. She wasn’t a kid who hung out on the street. She was a good kid.”
A Westchester County judge has ordered that the 15-year-old suspect remain in custody.
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