Thirteen-year-old student stabs teacher and sprays irritant in Rome middle school

Morning assault at Giovanni Verga school

A violent incident occurred on the morning of 18 September 2026 at the Giovanni Verga lower secondary school in eastern Rome. An Italian student aged 13, enrolled in the third year of middle school (terza media), attacked a female teacher inside a classroom. The student initially discharged an irritating pepper spray directly into the face of the educator. Immediately following the chemical spray, the teenager struck the teacher with a knife, inflicting wounds before classmates and staff could intervene. Screams from both teachers and students echoed through the hallways of the facility, which is situated between the Collatino and Centocelle neighbourhoods at Via Giovanni Gussone 5 near Largo Cocconi.

Emergency dispatch and hospitalisation

The emergency switchboard registered the initial call to 112 at 09:30, only minutes after the morning bell sounded to signal a change of class periods. Operators received several distress calls from the school as personnel attempted to contain the situation and tend to the injured teacher. Medical personnel from the 118 emergency service arrived at the building alongside local law enforcement units. Paramedics treated the educator on site before transporting her to the emergency department of the nearby Vannini Hospital. Medical teams admitted the victim under yellow code (codice giallo), signifying moderate trauma requiring prompt hospital care. Hospital staff confirmed that her knife wounds were not severe and that she remained out of life-threatening danger, though she remained in a state of acute psychological shock.

Investigation into motives and social media stream

Officers from the Carabinieri station in Centocelle, supported by personnel from the Rome Provincial Command, immediately launched an inquiry at the school premises. Investigators cordoned off the classroom to secure evidence, preserve the scene, and collect formal statements from educators and students who witnessed the event. A key aspect under review by law enforcement is the report that the 13-year-old student may have conducted a live video broadcast on social media while carrying out the assault. Detectives are reviewing digital platforms and personal mobile devices to determine whether a livestream took place and whether footage of the attack was disseminated online.

Weapons access and juvenile proceedings

Carabinieri investigators are focused on establishing how the underage pupil managed to introduce both an edged weapon and an irritant spray canister into the school building. The inquiry seeks to identify the exact sequence of events leading to the attack, as well as any prior disputes or psychological factors that may have prompted the act. Because the alleged perpetrator is 13 years old, the proceedings fall under Italy's juvenile judicial framework, which sets distinct statutory rules regarding criminal responsibility for minors under the age of 14. Police and judicial authorities are continuing to examine the circumstances of the weapon possession while maintaining security protocols at the Via Giovanni Gussone facility.