Kansas City students walk out as family of slain middle schooler pleads for justice
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Northeast Middle School stabbing
Kansas City police responded to a stabbing on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at Northeast Middle School, 4904 Independence Ave. Arriving officers found 14-year-old Manuel J. Guzman with stab wounds in a bathroom. He was taken to a hospital where he died later that day. Another student was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder in Jackson County Juvenile Court.
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About 100 Northeast Middle School students walked out of class on Monday and protested at the edge of school property, joining family who stood across the street in pleading for justice for 14-year-old Manuel Guzman, who was fatally stabbed at the school last week.
Family members wept as they pleaded for answers. Friends and relatives, many carrying signs or wearing T-shirts with pictures of Guzman, demanded an explanation from administration about how the stabbing could have happened at the school with metal detectors, security and a policy requiring clear backpacks.
Police and extra security remained outside near the crowds on Monday. The students were required to stand behind barricades and were not allowed to join Guzman’s friends and family on the sidewalk. But the two groups often chanted in unison, yelling “Justice for Manny,” “School should be closed” and “Long live Manny.”
“Why was he taken so early away from his mother?” his uncle Juan Guzman asked, shouting from the crowd.
“The best nephew I ever had taken away from me. You know why? Because the school doesn’t have enough security. The school has extra security now. Where the f*** were you at when my nephew was getting murdered? His life was taken away from him so early.”
Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell said last week that officials are investigating the stabbing, including what led up to it, as well as reviewing security protocols. Guzman was found April 12 suffering from critical stab wounds inside a school bathroom. He died after he was transported to a hospital.
Another male student was charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in Jackson County Juvenile Court. His identity has so far not been made public because he is a juvenile.
Students returned for classes last Wednesday, met with additional security and support from counselors.
A district spokeswoman on Monday told The Star, “As there is an active police investigation, KCPS will not be able to share additional information at this time.”
Officials have so far not said how Guzman was found or what led up to the incident. It is also unclear whether any weapon bypassed the school’s metal detectors.
His mother, Vicenta Guzman, told The Star last week that she believes there were warning signs ahead of the stabbing, alleging that her son and the other student had previous issues, including a fight about one month ago outside of school. Several others on Monday said they also were aware of the earlier altercation, and they argued that more could have been done to prevent the troubles from escalating.
“It just hurts me and hurts his friends, his family and the school to know that he lost his life in school,” said Monica Juarez, a Northeast eighth grader who said she was friends with Guzman.
She said that she missed school on Monday to participate in the rally. She was frustrated that students were not allowed to join the family in protesting on the sidewalk.
“They’re not letting no students out. The whole school needs to come out and speak up for Manny,” she said. “I want them to shut the school down. And I want the principal to come out and apologize to this family. They have not said nothing. They’re over there protecting the kids inside. Now they want to do something. There’s security out here now. Why wasn’t there security when Manny was in there getting hurt?”
Bedell told The Star last week that school officials were speaking with parents about the incident and that he was scheduling a time to meet with Guzman’s family.
Tomas Munoz, father of an eighth grader at the school, said he has thought about pulling his son out of classes as he worries for his safety.
“We worry about my son because right now we’re still scared. We don’t know if this school is safe or not,” he said. “We don’t have answers. They have security, they have clear bags. So how did this happen? So the security doesn’t do the work. We want to make it better. That’s what we’re fighting for here today.”
Family described Manuel Guzman as a sweet kid who loved football and skating. His cousin Rodrigo Morales said Guzman was “always funny.”
“He would never take anything seriously. He could always make something funny,” he said. “He was just a light. If there was dark in a room and he’d come in, he’d bring light.”
This story was originally published April 18, 2022 at 3:25 PM.
