SANTA ANA, CA – The somber mood outside Santa Ana High School lingered as students, parents, and friends gathered to pay their respects at a makeshift memorial for 14-year-old Armando Morales. Morales was fatally stabbed in front of the school on Wednesday afternoon, a tragic event that has left the community in mourning and seeking answers.
Despite the school being dismissed over an hour ago, many students chose to remain at the site, reflecting on the loss of their peer. Some parents brought their children to the memorial, opting to keep them home from school to mourn. The local school district noted a noticeable drop in attendance in the wake of the incident.
Morales, remembered fondly by friends and family as a joyful and helpful young boy, was killed during a violent altercation that erupted outside the school. Two brothers, aged 15 and 17, have been arrested in connection with the murder. The siblings were accompanied by their parents when they turned themselves in to authorities on the night of the stabbing.
The Santa Ana Police Department, relying on witness testimonies and surveillance footage, charged the brothers with murder and attempted murder. The footage reveals a chaotic scene with multiple students involved in a large fight, which police suspect may have gang affiliations. During the melee, one of the suspects allegedly brandished a knife, resulting in multiple stabbings.
Another pair of brothers, aged 15 and 16, were injured during the incident and are currently hospitalized in stable condition. All individuals involved in the fight were students, underscoring the tragic nature of the event within the school community.
School officials are actively working with students and staff to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and to prevent further violence. The tragedy has left many parents questioning the safety of their children on campus, expressing fears about their well-being during school hours.
For the family of Armando Morales, the pain is acute. They describe him as a victim of circumstance, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time while trying to assist his friends. Plans for a summer trip to Mexico, where Morales hoped to visit his grandmother, have been tragically cut short.
Morales would have turned 15 this month, a milestone now marked by grief rather than celebration. The search for the murder weapon continues, and police urge anyone with information about the case to come forward.