Pennsylvania Stabbing Suspect Already Charged As An Adult

Yesterday, April 9, 2014, 16 year old Alex Hribal stabbed 21 students and a security guard with two kitchen knives at Franklin Regional High School before being tackled by an assistant principal. At least 5 of the students are in critical condition.

But the thing I find "interesting" is the fact that within hours, Hribal, after being treated at an area hospital for a minor hand wound, the teenager was taken to the court, in a hospital gown, and immediately charged with 4 counts of attempted homicide and 21 counts of aggravated assault. He was jailed without bail but authorities said he will be prosecuted as an adult.

All within hours. Doesn't it usually take months to be charged? What about his defense attorney? Doesn't he want his "client" evaluated psychologically? Don't get me wrong, I am not condoning what this kid did in any way. I just find it odd that he was charged immediately. Doesn't it take a bit to get all the charges in order? Because once he has been charged, that's it...no going back. If the Prosecution makes even one tiny mistake, the kid walks on a technicality. We have seen it happen too many times in the past. 

After the brief hearing, District Attorney John Peck stated that after he was taken into custody, Hribal made comments suggesting he wanted to die. The defense attorney, Patrick Thomassey, described him as a good student who got along with others. Other students said, however, that Hribal always has the same expression on his face...a blank expression, never showing emotion. A next door neighbor said that the Hribal's were a very, very nice family and that nothing out of the ordinary was ever seen.

Public safety and school officials said that the emergency plan worked as well as could be expected. They had just conducted an emergency drill 3 months prior and a full scale drill about a year ago. That seems to be the trend, doesn't it? A drill is conducted and then, out of "nowhere", an attack.

Like I said, I'm not saying this didn't happen, I'm sure it did. But for him to already of been charged within hours seems a little too convenient. Almost as if the charges had already been typed up and ready to go. I hate that my government has turned me into this "wary of everything" person. But it seems as though there is nothing that happens these days, that I don't see a more nefarious plan behind the confusion. 

Maybe others have been charged this quickly in the past...I don't know as I couldn't find anything. But I have an inquiring mind...and I would like to know.

TCW