Teen Charged with Stamford HS Stabbing, Mob Assault

Stamford Police photo: Malik Claiborne.

A Stamford teen was arrested Monday morning for his alleged role in the stabbing and beating of two students following Friday night’s Stamford High School - Brien McMahon High School basketball game in Stamford.

Stamford Police said Monday that the attack occurred outside Stamford High after the game let out about 9 p.m. Jan. 15. The attack wasn’t reported to police until the two victims sought medical treatment at Norwalk Hospital.

Stamford Police were contacted by Norwalk Police who said they had two assault victims being treated for injuries at Norwalk Hospital.

Stamford detectives determined that the two Norwalk youths who are Brien McMahon students attended the game that McMahon won by a score of 60-53. When the game let out, the pair was followed to their car by approximately 15 to 20 males, police said.

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“They were confronted and asked if they were from Norwalk and when they said yes, they were viciously attacked by the mob. Both victims were punched and kicked repeatedly,” according to a Stamford Police statement.

“One victim was stabbed on the right side of his chest and the other sustained a serious dental injury. Both also received many lacerations and bruises from the attack,” police said. The victims immediately left and went to Norwalk Hospital.

Stamford detectives and School Resource Officers assigned to Stamford High, “were quickly able to identify the main aggressor of this attack as 19-year-old Malik Claiborne and he was positively identified as one of the attackers,” according to Stamford Police.

Lt. Diedrich Hohn said Claiborne was a Stamford High student until he withdrew from classes on Friday — hours before the incident.

Working with prosecutors from Stamford Superior Court, police obtained an arrest warrant charging Claiborne with second-degree assault and conspiracy.

Claiborne was arrested at his residence Monday morning. A court set bond of $25,000 was levied on him. It was not immediately known Monday morning whether Claiborne was able to post bond.

More arrests are expected, police said.

Police also said in their statement, “This is an unfortunate incident that occurred in the Stamford community and the SPD used, and is currently using, every resource to identify and arrest the perpetrators involved. Every student from other communities should feel safe to come to sporting events in the city and the SPD wants it to be known that this type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”