High School Graduation Stabbings: New Details Revealed About Masked Men

Six masked men are facing charges after allegedly attacking a student and a guest following a charter high school graduation ceremony held Wednesday at Hofstra University on Long Island.

The Nassau County Police Department responded to the university's campus in Hempstead for an assault at 4:20 p.m., according to a news release sent to News week by the police. Authorities determined that two men involved in the altercation were mutilated. One was stabbed in the back of the left thigh and the other was slashed in the right ear.

Authorities arrested the following suspects: Isaiah Moore, 19, of Uniondale; Devon Moore, 19, of Hempstead; Taiwan Jackson, 23, of Hempstead; Unique Pruitt, 21, of Hempstead; Devon Fenner, 18, of Hempstead; and Zachariah Fulton, 19, of Hempstead.

All six were charged with second-degree attempted gang assault, second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. They will be arraigned Thursday in Hempstead First District Court.

A Hofstra University spokesperson said News week The “stabbing incident” occurred after Academy Charter High School's graduation ceremony held on the university's campus.

“The campus was quickly secured and there is no ongoing threat,” the spokesperson said. “An investigation is underway.”

News week has contacted Academy Charter High School for comment.

The victims were a student at the school and a guest invited by the student, NBC New York reported. Both were transported to a local hospital following the attack.

Nassau County police said they could not release the victims' conditions.

The incident was related to a domestic dispute, the school told NBC.

All participants in the graduation ceremony had to pass through magnetometers to enter the venue, the Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex at Hofstra. Academy Charter High School said the altercation happened outside the venue.

The school security team is cooperating with Nassau County police and Hofstra public safety officers.

The Academy Charter School system operates secondary schools in Uniondale and Hempstead, in addition to elementary and middle schools. The school system opened its first elementary school in 2009 and began teaching ninth grade in 2016 at the middle school before expanding to teach ninth through twelfth grades. The school focuses on mastering academic subjects, encouraging character development and giving back to the community.

Hempstead is the largest city in Nassau County with a population of 793,409. Uniondale is a census-designated unincorporated community located in Hempstead. Uniondale has a population of 32,473.