Foss High School quadruple stabbing sparked over stolen vape, court docs say

Tacoma superintendent addresses school stabbings

Tacoma Public Schools faced criticism for a delayed response after four students and a security guard were stabbed Thursday afternoon. Superintendent Josh Garcia says the district will only share facts as law enforcement continues its investigation into the hallway clash.

TACOMA, Wash. - A 16-year-old boy was charged with four counts of first-degree assault in connection to the quadruple stabbing at Foss High School in Tacoma, Washington on Thursday.

The teenager was arrested shortly after the incident, and was charged in Pierce County Superior Court on Friday. Authorities identified the suspect as Waleed Emad Essakhi, a student at Foss High School. He is being tried as an adult.

Foss High School students are evacuated from the building after four students were stabbed on April 30, 2026. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Tacoma school stabbing breaks out over stolen vape

According to court documents, the fight started over a vape pen. Essakhi was believed to have stolen a vape from one of his classmates when they were at a nearby skatepark on Wednesday.

Surveillance video from the next day shows four students confront Essakhi in the first floor hall at Foss High School, and eventually encircle him.

Essakhi appeared to be "egging them on," according to one of the victims, slapping his own face and feinting at him to make him strike first. Court documents say surveillance video shows Essakhi pull something from his pocket and manipulate it just before the four students jump him.

Student in custody after stabbing at Foss High School

Six people, including five students and a security guard, were transported to local hospitals after a stabbing at Foss High School in Tacoma. Police have a student suspect in custody following the incident, which reportedly began as a dispute over a vape pen. Classes and after-school activities have been canceled for tomorrow as the investigation continues.

Several staff members and a security guard were eventually able to separate everyone and break up the fight.

Several students suffered injuries, including cut lips and stab wounds. The security guard was also cut on his arm. One of the students was stabbed in the side and had to undergo emergency surgery to remove a portion of his lung, and another student will require surgery for a severe cut on his arm.

According to Essakhi's mother, he recently transferred to Foss High School because he was being bullied and kept getting in fights at his previous school in Lakewood.

What's next:

Essakhi has been charged with four counts of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon. He is currently being held on $750,000 bail. Essakhi is also ordered to have no contact with any of the victims.

An omnibus hearing is set for June 1, while a jury trial is scheduled for June 17.

Foss High School stabbing: Latest on investigation, conditions of victims

FOX 13 Seattle has team coverage after multiple people were stabbed at Foss High School in Tacoma. Here's the latest on the investigation and the conditions of the victims. 

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