Teen brothers in custody after deadly triple stabbing outside Santa Ana High School

Teen brothers arrested for Santa Ana HS stabbing

A stabbing at Santa Ana High School killed a 14-year-old student and hospitalized two others. The suspects, who are brothers, have been arrested and charged with murder.

SANTA ANA, Calif. - A 14-year-old is dead after a massive brawl between students ended in a triple stabbing at Santa Ana High School.

What we know:

The Santa Ana Police Department responded to a call of a stabbing at the high school campus a little before 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7.

Police say three boys — ages 14, 15, and 16 — were stabbed outside the school's front entrance.

The 14-year-old student died at the hospital. His older brother identified him as freshman Armando Morales. The two other victims remain hospitalized in stable condition. 

According to officials, the two suspects — both students — left the scene after the stabbing but turned themselves in to authorities overnight. Both students were accompanied by their parents.

The stabbing incident is gang-related and remains under investigation, according to Officer Natalie Garcia with the Santa Ana Police Department.

Police said Morales had no direct affiliation with any gangs, and may not have been involved in whatever the fight was about.

2 in custody after deadly triple stabbing outside Santa Ana HS

The stabbing, which started as an argument that quickly escalated, was gang-related, according to police.

What we don't know:

The two suspects, ages 15 and 17, were not identified, but officials tell FOX 11 that they are brothers. Police told FOX 11 that the two boys still in the hospital are also brothers.

What they're saying:

A witness and friend of the victim said it started as an argument that quickly escalated. "At first it was a fight, and then it escalated to the kid pulling out a knife, and yeah, he just started stabbing… because I guess self-defense, but that's not a reasonable answer," he said. "He was the most, probably funniest kid I knew. He was caring, not the smartest academically, but he was very fun to be around, hang out with."

FOX 11's crew spoke with Crystal Duffy, a parent whose son will soon be old enough to attend Santa Ana High. She told FOX 11 the stabbing likely stemmed from a fight.

"I'm really heartbroken for the parents," Duffy said. "For any school, all the kids, you're supposed to feel safe. And they don't anymore, they just don't feel safe."

What's next:

Officials with the Santa Ana Unified School District said counselors and extra security will be on campus into next week. But parents say that's not enough at a school with approximately 3,000 students. 

They point to previous incidents in the area, including one last year when two 13-year-olds were shot just a few streets from campus. One of them was killed. A third teen nearby was hit by a stray bullet. The teen who died in that shooting had just enrolled at the school.

Parents are demanding a meeting with school administration about security.