'I miss your smile': Mother of 15-year-old killed at Southeast Raleigh shares heartfelt message
Students returned to Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School on Thursday, and the mother of the teen killed there earlier this week posted a message to him on a funeral home site.
"I miss your smile, your kind heart and mostly importantly I miss your spirit," read the message labeled simply "Mama" on Delvin Ferrell's online obituary.
"To my baby boy, I love u so much, words can not explain how I am feeling right now, you were always the one that was here for me at times like this, telling me ma dont cry its gonna be ok, and you hug me, now who gonna comfort me like you. I miss your smile, your kind heart and mostly importantly I miss your spirit. A life time without u is a unhappy lifetime, Im so sorry this happened to you and you did not deserve this, this one is on me, I don't blame anybody but myself, and the one that took your life, he had a choice and he chose to take your life away, I love you son, never will be forgotten and forever loved."
Ferrell's family and friends have identified the 15-year-old as the victim of a stabbing during a fight Monday morning at the school.
Video from inside the school shows Tyquan General Jr., 14, wildly swinging a knife, striking two students. Ferrell, died, and another student was wounded and taken to the hospital.
Classes had been canceled since the fatal incident on Monday. On Wednesday night, a grieving community gathered together to release balloons in memory of Ferrell.
Scared, shocked students return to Southeast Raleigh High School
Students returned on Thursday to an increased law enforcement and security presence. In a message to parents and students, the school said all students involved in Monday’s incident had been disciplined in accordance with WCPSS policies.
"We continue to work closely with law enforcement, the WCPSS Security team and other partners to review and learn from Monday’s incident," reads the website.
A crisis response team and student support services will be available.
Crystal Butler, whose 15-year-old daughter attends Southeast, said she has been experiencing heightened anxiety since the stabbing.
"(It is) just really hard for me and the community," Butler said.
Her daughter has been sad and shocked, she added. "Now she’s fearful if she can even go back to school."
Butler told WRAL News that students deserve an extended period to heal properly. She suggested that at least a week off would be appropriate.
On Monday, Dec. 4, the school will hold a special forum from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. to allow parents, students and staff to discuss the incident and ask questions of school leaders and police. Superintendent Robert Taylor, Board of Education member Tara Waters, and Raleigh Police Chief Patterson will be in attendance.
'I'm scared:' 911 calls reveal students hid in bathroom during fatal stabbing
Police communication released on Wednesday provides some insight into the chaos inside the school when the fight turned into a deadly stabbing – and the search for a suspect that followed.
Police released the audio of two 911 calls and an "incident recall" document that show the timeline of the police response to the school.
The first call to police came in at 11:01 a.m., citing "someone with a knife."
In a call to 911 just after 11 a.m., a student can be heard saying, "Can you please come to the school, please? ... I'm a student. I'm scared." That caller reported hiding in a bathroom.
At 11:04 a.m., fire and EMS arrived at the front of the school. By 11:06 a.m., a Code Red lockdown was announced.
Police documents show how 14-year-old suspect was captured after leaving school
The police "incident recall" shows the timeline of their response.
By 11:41 a.m., police were looking for a person described as 5'10", skinny, wearing a gray shirt.
The document shows they tracked him moving south towards Sanderford Road, going behind a church and into a trail through the woods. They followed him towards Foxhill Circle and Foxtrot Road.
About 10 minutes later, between 11:49 and 11:58, they had spotted a dark Honda Accord "trying to pickup" the subject from a church on Creech Road.
Sanderford, Foxhill, Foxtrot and Creech road are all within a mile of the school, west of the campus on Rock Quarry Road.
The document also noted a video of the stabbing had been posted onto Instagram onto someone's story.
This map shows the route the suspect took, that police followed.
