An 18-year-old student fatally stabbed two people and critically injured another at a high school in northern Slovakia on Thursday, according to authorities.

The attack occurred in Spišská Stará Ves, a small town of approximately 17,000 residents near the Polish border. The Slovak rescue service confirmed that one individual remains in critical condition following the violent incident.

Police stated that the suspect, who initially fled the scene, was apprehended shortly after the attack. Preliminary reports indicate that the assailant targeted a teacher and two students. Further details about the motive or circumstances of the attack have not been disclosed.

Local media identified the victims as a deputy principal of the high school and a student. Authorities have not yet confirmed these reports.

Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok and Education Minister Tomáš Drucker visited the town to express condolences to the victims’ families. Minister Drucker pledged to implement measures aimed at preventing such attacks and enhancing the safety of students and teachers.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the small community, with officials and residents grappling with the aftermath of the senseless violence. (ILKHA)