Stabbing at High School Reunion

People of a certain age may debate going to their high school reunion. Perhaps  saying “what’s the worst that can happen.”

1 Dead, 8 Hurt In Stabbings At HS Reunion
Walbrook High School Alumni Stabbed In Baltimore
POSTED: 11:06 am EDT August 28, 2010 WBALTV.com

BALTIMORE — City police continued Monday to investigate a stabbing rampage at a high school reunion that left eight people injured and one man dead.

Police credited private security officers for helping police identify the suspect, leading to an arrest.

Baltimore City police said a brawl broke out at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday at the Patapsco Arena in the 3300 block of Annapolis Road. The arena was hosting a reunion of Walbrook High School alumni who went to the school between 1995 and 2005. The arena was filled to capacity, according to officials.

“At some point, an altercation broke out on the inside. Multiple people were stabbed; the altercation then moved to the outside, where even more people were stabbed,” Baltimore City police spokesman Donny Moses said.

Carrington McNutt, 23, of Baltimore, was stabbed in the upper torso and neck. He was taken to Shock Trauma, where he died, police said.

[James L. Dixon]

James L. Dixon

James L. Dixon

At least eight other people were taken to three hospitals with wounds and injuries from the melee. They suffered wounds that were not considered life-threatening, police said.

Police identified the man arrested as James L. Dixon, 28, of Baltimore, and said he was charged with one count of first-degree murder in addition to numerous counts of first-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault and assault with a deadly weapon.

“We don’t have a motive for the fight. Apparently, one guy went on a stabbing rampage,” Moses said.

Shantaya Carter, a Walbrook alum, said she overheard what happened from a witness who entered her store

“It was terrible, it was like a massacre. It took about 55 minutes to get out of the parking lot, we had barely made it out. People were just dropping around,” Carter said.

“This was a total shock to all of us,” said George Cunningham, security manager at the arena. “We’ve never had a problem here whatsoever.”

Cunningham said the reunion’s organizers hired a private security company that screened people as they entered.

“There must have been a flaw somewhere, I guess, I’m assuming. I’m not real sure,” Cunningham said.

Police said detectives recovered a knife and a handgun at the scene, although it was believed no shots were fired during the incident, according to police.