Santa Fe High School Stabbing Leaves One Student in Critical Condition

ALACHUA – A fight between two students at Santa Fe High School during Tuesday’s lunch period ended in violence when one student stabbed another with a pocketknife, leaving the victim hospitalized and the suspect in custody, according to school and police officials.

The Alachua Police Department (APD) said officers and school resource officers responded at approximately 12:26 p.m. on Oct. 14, 2025, to reports of an altercation in the school courtyard. During the confrontation, 18-year-old Christopher David Teague allegedly pulled a five-inch pocketknife and stabbed another student three times in the back.

According to a police statement issued around 5 p.m., witnesses stepped in to separate the students, and school staff immediately escorted the injured student to the nurse’s office, where emergency medical crews responded. The victim was then transported to a nearby hospital under a trauma alert and was listed in critical but stable condition as of Tuesday afternoon.

Teague was taken into custody without incident by the school resource officer and relocated to a secure office on campus while additional officers arrived.

Police said that after Teague was read his Miranda rights, he reportedly admitted to retrieving the knife from his pocket and stabbing the other student.

He was later booked into the Alachua County Jail on three felony counts:

• Aggravated Battery (Person Uses a Deadly Weapon), a second-degree felony — §784.045(1)(a)2
• Possession of a Weapon on School Property, a third-degree felony — §790.115(2)(b)
• Disturbing the Peace / Interfering with School Administration Functions, a second-degree misdemeanor — §877.13(1)(a)

Out of an abundance of caution, Santa Fe High School was placed on a temporary lockdown immediately after the incident, which was lifted once the scene was secured and the suspect detained.

In a message to parents, Alachua County Public Schools spokesperson Jackie Johnson confirmed that the altercation occurred during lunch and resulted in one student stabbing another. She said the injured student was hospitalized and the suspect was arrested by Alachua police.

“The student will also be disciplined in keeping with state law and the district’s Code of Student Conduct, which requires a mandatory 10-day suspension and mandatory recommendation for expulsion,” Johnson said.

She added that a threat assessment and threat management process would begin immediately in coordination with law enforcement, describing it as standard operating procedure following such incidents.

Johnson also reminded families that weapons, including pocketknives, are strictly prohibited on campus, on school buses, and at any school-related activity.

While police have not released a motive, social media users have circulated unverified claims suggesting that Teague was the target of bullying by the other student and that prior altercations led up to the stabbing. Authorities have not confirmed those reports.

APD said no additional information will be released “to protect the victim’s privacy,” but emphasized that “the safety and security of our students and staff remain the highest priority.”

Law enforcement and school officials said the investigation remains active. A threat assessment team, including law enforcement, school administrators, and mental health professionals, will determine whether further safety measures or disciplinary actions are warranted.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact APD.

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