A 16-year-old student at an international school in Kuching, in Malaysia's Sarawak state, was arrested after allegedly strapping his phone to his head and live-streaming an axe attack on his teacher. Two classmates tackled him before police arrived.
Attack at Kuching school
Police were called at about 8.03am on Wednesday, October 21, following reports of firecrackers at the school and an assault on a member of staff. Investigators say the teenager broadcast live on Facebook for around 12 minutes. In the footage, he is seen inside a school bathroom pulling an axe, a penknife and a lighter from his bag.
He then ran towards a classroom. CCTV and his own video allegedly show him bursting through the door, yelling: "This is what you get!" - before charging at the female teacher and striking her with the axe.
Classmates intervene
As pupils tried to flee, the suspect is said to have swung the weapon at students, according to the South China Morning Post. When the injured teacher stepped in to protect them, he allegedly attempted to hack at her again. At that point, two male students charged in, tackled the boy, pinned him down and confiscated the axe until officers arrived.
The teacher reportedly suffered cuts to her hand while trying to disarm the attacker and was taken to Sarawak General Hospital for treatment. She is recovering, and no other students were physically hurt, Al Jazeera reported. During the struggle, the live broadcast reportedly became shaky before the screen turned black - though screams could still be heard. Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) later removed the viral footage from social media.
Investigation and psychiatric assessment
Following his arrest, the teenager was transferred to the psychiatric ward at Sarawak General Hospital for a full psychological assessment. Police have questioned 24 people, including his parents, classmates and medical officers.
Detectives also uncovered posts on his Facebook page in the run-up to the attack. In one, he wrote: "I have no one. I have no significant other. I have no one to rely on. I was born alone and will die alone." He is being investigated under Section 324 of Malaysia's Penal Code, for voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon, and Section 6(1) of the Explosives Act 1957 over the firecrackers.
Sarawak's welfare minister Fatimah Abdullah urged people to stop sharing the video and avoid publicly shaming the boy, saying: "Accountability and compassion are not mutually exclusive." A police press conference is due on Tuesday, October 27.
