Calls for no bail in case of ‘Columbine copycat’ after school stabbing

Outcry over the stabbing of a six-year-old girl at Creative Classroom in Umhlali on Tuesday have prompted a formal application calling for the teenage suspect to be denied bail and undergo a psychological assessment.

The teenager was previously arrested on July 3 in connection with an alleged attempted bombing at Ballito Junction Regional Mall on March 29. He was released three days later when the matter was not enrolled due to insufficient evidence.

Rise Up Movement NPO founder Josha Daniel submitted a written application to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, requesting that the State oppose bail and seek the suspect’s continued detention in the interests of public safety.

Daniel also called for a formal psychological assessment, placement in an appropriate secure facility and co-ordinated intervention.

“The Rise Up Movement NPO believes that incidents of this nature require more than a response to the immediate criminal allegations. Where there are verified indications of previous concerning behaviour, the relevant authorities must examine whether appropriate interventions were considered, implemented and monitored.”

When the Courier brought the failed bomb attempt to light in July, South Africa’s former top police profiler, Gerard Labuschagne, warned that the case bore the hallmarks of an attempted mass violence event.

He cautioned that an arrest alone would not necessarily eliminate the threat, as underlying grievances could remain or intensify.

Punishment without addressing the causes of violent behaviour, he said, could increase the likelihood of further offending.

Shortly before the alleged attempted bombing on March 29, the teenager circulated a manifesto on Telegram containing threats against people associated with Creative Classroom and others.

The document outlined his grievances, ideology and alleged attack plans. It also referenced two earlier incidents: an alleged attempted stabbing of a girl at another local school in 2024 and the pepper-spraying of shoppers at another Ballito mall three weeks before the alleged bombing attempt.

In the manifesto, the teenager said he admired the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine school massacre in the United States.

A photograph obtained by the Courier following Tuesday’s stabbing shows the suspect wearing black cargo pants and a black T-shirt bearing the word “wrath” in red, a replica of the shirt worn by one of the Columbine shooters.

The teenager previously attended Creative Classroom but is no longer enrolled there.

He allegedly entered the premises at about 8.15am on Tuesday before making his way into a classroom and locking the door.

A bystander alerted to the danger reportedly kicked the door open. The teenager allegedly stabbed the six-year-old pupil before attempting to flee but was apprehended on the school grounds.

The girl suffered critical stab wounds to her chest, abdomen and arm, but she was reportedly in a stable condition after emergency surgery.

Items reportedly recovered at the scene included a large kitchen knife, cable ties, an improvised weapon, a tactical belt and a duffle bag containing camouflage clothing.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) arrived shortly after the arrest. Containers holding unidentified substances were also found, prompting the dispatch of the police bomb disposal unit.

School headmaster Dean Grobler declined to comment at the time of publication, saying staff were undergoing debriefing and receiving trauma counselling.

The Courier has withheld the identity of the suspect because he is a minor. South African law provides special protections for children accused of crimes, including restrictions on publishing information that could identify them. These protections apply regardless of the seriousness of the allegations.