Everett, WA police identify person of interest in teen stabbing

Everett police are continuing their search for a person of interest in the stabbing of a 13-year-old boy. 

On Sunday night, the Everett Police Department identified the person as 21-year-old Andrew Freeman. Still, neighbors say they are worried about their safety as he could still be in the area.  

What they're saying:

"I was there that morning and yeah, it affected all of us big-time," said Sarah Feinberg, substitute teacher at North Middle School and parent of a student at North Middle School.

Feinberg says she was working as a substitute teacher at North Middle School when the 13-year-old student walked into school with stab wounds on January 16th.

"He came in as he would normally to get to school, and he was bleeding, and they called 911 immediately," said Sarah Feinberg, substitute teacher at North Middle School and Parent of Student at North Middle School.

She believes her daughter is in the same grade at the middle school.

"My daughter is a middle school student. She walks to school.  Personally, it's obviously terrifying," said Feinberg.  

 She says students were traumatized.

"They were, and they didn’t know much that day, and as teachers, we were like, ‘We don’t know’," said Feinberg.

Timeline:

On Thursday, Jan. 16, a teen was walking to North Middle School when he was stabbed by an unknown man near Broadway and 25th Street at about 8 a.m.

The teen was taken to the hospital and is still recovering from multiple stab wounds, but no arrests have been made. 

Since then, police have released several photos of the individual who they have been calling a person of interest and urged the public to help identify him.

Officials in the city of Everett met with the community on Thursday night to reassure neighbors that officers were working hard to try and catch the suspect. The meeting took place in the Delta Neighborhood, the same neighborhood where the stabbing happened. 

The chief told the audience that he personally helped with the manhunt to find the suspect in the stabbing that morning. 

"Very thankful that this young boy is OK. He is in the hospital, but he will be OK," said John DeRousse, Everett Chief of Police, at the meeting.

When police identified the person of interest on Sunday night, they released a photo of him.

Andrew Freeman, 21, has been identified as a person of interest in the stabbing of a 13-year-old boy. 

A different neighbor, who didn't want to be fully identified, says it's worrying that Freeman hasn't yet been located. 

"He could be anywhere, you know.  I mean, there are people’s lives in danger with him out on the road, out on the streets. Who knows who he’s going to stab next?," said the neighbor. 

Everett PD confirmed to FOX 13 that Freeman was arrested on drug charges 51 minutes after the stabbing and then released the next day before investigators realized he may have been involved.  

"They need to find out why that took place, you know, get to the bottom of it, and see what really happened," said the neighbor. 

"I do think they were really on top of it that day," said Feinberg about the police response.  "They just came flooding in, and it was a really immediate response that day. I appreciated that, and I think they are probably doing the best they can."

She says the stabbing has shattered the community's sense of safety and hers as well. 

"Everyone is re-thinking. ‘Do we let our kids walk to school? Do we not?’," she said. "I was out the other night, you know, out and about walking by myself, and I’m thinking twice about it for sure, because I know that he’s still out there," said Feinberg. 

What you can do:

Police are asking the public's help in locating Freeman. Anyone who sees him, should not approach him and call 911 immediately. 

Anyone with information about this incident to call the Everett Police Department's tip line at 425-257-8450 or the Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). 

The Source: Information used in this story was from the Everett Police Department and information from interviews by FOX 13's Jennifer Dowling.

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