2 students take the witness stand in trial of fatal stabbing of classmate

Two more student witnesses took the stand Tuesday to testify about the fatal altercation at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation.

News 12 Staff

Jul 9, 2019, 9:20 PM

Updated 1,758 days ago

Share:

Two more student witnesses took the stand Tuesday to testify about the fatal altercation at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation.
Abel Cedeno walked arm in arm Tuesday with the family members who have been at his side since the start of the proceedings. Tuesday marked the sixth day of testimony in the high-profile manslaughter trial that centers on the issue of school bullying.
Cedeno is charged with manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a weapon in the fatal school stabbing of 15-year-old Matthew McCree in September 2017.
The two former students testified that they saw Cedeno pull a knife out of his pocket. The media was not allowed to film them.
They told the court that students yelled out "he has a knife" as McCree continued to approach Cedeno, who was standing in the doorway of the classroom.
Last week, a teacher was shown a nine-second cellphone video of the deadly altercation, and testified that McCree threw the first punch.
But McCree's friend, Ariane Laboy, testified that very few students in the class knew Cedeno, and that he became irate when a paper ball was thrown in his direction. Laboy was also stabbed that day but survived.
Cedeno's defense team claims he was the target of emotional and physical abuse by bullies because of his sexuality and says he was protecting himself when he stabbed McCree.
Cedeno has said very little publicly about what happened inside that classroom. He will be telling his side of the story to a judge when he takes the stand in his own defense Thursday.


More from News 12
1:38
St. Simon Stock School in Fordham won't reopen this fall due to low enrollment

St. Simon Stock School in Fordham won't reopen this fall due to low enrollment

1:35
Summerlike weather returns to NYC with temps in the 80s; cooler weather for the weekend

Summerlike weather returns to NYC with temps in the 80s; cooler weather for the weekend

1:32
Residents outraged after ban on door cameras at Mott Haven building

Residents outraged after ban on door cameras at Mott Haven building

1:43
Nonprofit wants to bring an independent cinema to the Bronx

Nonprofit wants to bring an independent cinema to the Bronx

Diocese of Brooklyn: 3 Catholic academies to close at the end of the school year

Diocese of Brooklyn: 3 Catholic academies to close at the end of the school year

1:54
Bronx charter schools have open seats for upcoming school year

Bronx charter schools have open seats for upcoming school year

2:04
Grants up for grabs for restaurants hurt by new stove standards

Grants up for grabs for restaurants hurt by new stove standards

1:51
Residents worried that sinkhole problems from years prior may return

Residents worried that sinkhole problems from years prior may return

1:19
Council members making a push for rat birth control

Council members making a push for rat birth control

1:43
NYPD: Multiple suspects wanted for string of gunpoint robberies across the Bronx, Manhattan

NYPD: Multiple suspects wanted for string of gunpoint robberies across the Bronx, Manhattan

1:30
82-unit affordable housing development coming to West Farms

82-unit affordable housing development coming to West Farms

1:51
RFK announces he has enough signatures to appear on NY ballot

RFK announces he has enough signatures to appear on NY ballot

1:41
Bronx man in custody following death of his 79-year-old mother in Concourse Village apartment

Bronx man in custody following death of his 79-year-old mother in Concourse Village apartment

1:47
City officials, drivers weigh in on potential disappearance of parking spots in Mount Hope

City officials, drivers weigh in on potential disappearance of parking spots in Mount Hope

0:34
FBI arrests Brooklyn man in Mount Vernon robbery, homicide

FBI arrests Brooklyn man in Mount Vernon robbery, homicide

2:19
Rent hikes may be coming for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments

Rent hikes may be coming for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments

2:23
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse, community advocates file over 150 lawsuits accusing staff at juvenile facilities

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse, community advocates file over 150 lawsuits accusing staff at juvenile facilities

1:33
NYPD: Man wanted for robbing Mott Haven deli at gunpoint

NYPD: Man wanted for robbing Mott Haven deli at gunpoint

1:57
Pelham Parkway dialysis center closing soon, leaving patients angered

Pelham Parkway dialysis center closing soon, leaving patients angered

2:32
Transportation Alternatives: 2024 was the deadliest start to a year since start of Vision Zero

Transportation Alternatives: 2024 was the deadliest start to a year since start of Vision Zero