Teen accused of fatally stabbing classmate appears in court

<p>A teenage boy accused of fatally stabbing a classmate and injuring another appeared before a judge in Bronx court Thursday.</p>

News 12 Staff

Sep 28, 2017, 4:54 PM

Updated 2,626 days ago

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A teenage boy accused of fatally stabbing a classmate and injuring another appeared before a judge in Bronx court Thursday.
Abel Cedeno, 18, is accused of stabbing two classmates in the chest with a switchblade knife in a fifth-floor classroom at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation on Wednesday, killing one of them.
He is facing multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder and manslaughter.
Cedeno was walked into the courtroom by officers. It was the first time his family had seen him since he left for school Wednesday.
He confessed to fatally stabbing 15-year-old Matthew McCree and critically injuring 16-year-old Ariane Laboy with a switchblade he brought into school, according to police.
Investigators say Cedeno was bullied by his two victims for weeks before stabbing them both.
Cedeno's family members expressed their condolences toward the McCree and Laboy families, but say their son was being bullied by the teens for his sexual orientation.
Family members say McCree and Laboy relentlessly physically and verbally tormented their son since the start of the school year.
A family friend, Savannah Hornback, spoke on camera to News 12 outside the courtroom and says Cedeno's mother visited the school once to complain about the bullying, but school administrators failed to do anything about it. The family even sought professional help outside of the school, but ultimately, Cedeno took action into his own hands, she told reporters. 
Cedeno is being held without bail and will appear back in court Oct. 3. His lawyer has requested a psychiatric evaluation.
Citing federal privacy laws, the city's Department of Education said in a statement that it's unable to share details about any student.
A statement from the Legal Aid Society, which currently represents Cedeno, said it is meeting with Cedeno and his family and reviewing facts and circumstances of the case, including the alleged long history of bullying and intimidation.