Police: LI High School Student Stabbed Another Teen Over Social Media Post
BELLMORE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A high school student has been arrested after allegedly stabbing another teen, and police believe it was because of a post on social media.
As CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported, students at Kennedy High School in Bellmore did not welcome the news closing out the school year. A classmate who they recently rallied around following his battle with a debilitating case of bacterial meningitis was arrested Thursday.
Anthony Vas, 17, was charged with stabbing a former friend over the posting of a harassing social media message.
Police said the victim, also age 17, was stable following surgery.
"The victim does arrive at the defendant's home, and he arrives because he's concerned about a recent social media text," Nassau County Police Det. Lt. Richard LeBrun said. "At that point, the defendant takes out a small steak knife, approximately five inches, he goes outside, he does stab the victim in the right side of the chest."
The stabbing took place outside the Merrick home of the suspect's family. His father told CBS2 his son was confronted and retaliated from continual taunting on Instagram. The social media dispute between Vas and the victim began over a girl, McLogan reported.
"He's been bullied for over two weeks since he came out of the hospital by this person constantly -- on the phone, text messages, social media and he did come to the house," father Larry Vas said.
The victim managed to drive himself two miles home before he was taken to the hospital. A friend pointed out blood on the driver's side door.
The Bellmore Merrick School District was providing counseling.
"No one wants to talk about it. It's no one's business," one students said. "It's upsetting, very upsetting."
Vas was being held on $7,500 cash bail. He told a judge he was not guilty and that he acted in self-defense, due to extenuating circumstances.
Investigators are working with school counselors and imploring parents, teachers and even the police to continue the conversation regarding hurtful and destructive social media messages.
Nassau County police said the content of social media posts lately is "out of control and bordering on criminality."
