Student stabbed to death at Manor Senior High School, officials say

(This story has been updated to add new information and remove an unrelated photo.)

A student died at Manor Senior High School on Tuesday afternoon after being stabbed multiple times in the chest by a classmate.

Manor police identified the victim as 18-year-old Darrin Loving and said in a statement that his death came after emergency responders performed life-saving medical procedures. The teen was pronounced dead at 1:12 p.m., according to a spokesperson for Austin-Travis County EMS, which was called to the scene at 12:47 p.m.

Police at the mansion arrested Mac Brown Mbah Mbanwei, also 18, in connection with the stabbing and charged him with murder. He is being held in the Travis County Jail and had not yet been granted bond as of 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Police said they are still actively investigating, but described the incident as isolated and with no ongoing threat to students or the public.

The Manor School District announced it would cancel high school classes Wednesday and Thursday to give students time to grieve, but said the campus would remain open with counselors available to speak with students.

“We understand this situation raises concerns, and we will also assess campus safety,” said Superintendent Robert Sormani. “Our priority is to be present for all students and staff during this difficult time.”

The district canceled classes Wednesday and Thursday not only at Manor Senior High School, where the stabbing occurred, but also at two nearby campuses that also serve high school students: Manor Early College High School, located at 14832 FM 973, and Manor High School, located at 12700 Gregg Manor Rd. (The Manor district has five different campuses for high school students.)

Any student wishing to speak to a counselor can do so at Manor Early College High School on Wednesdays between 9am and 3pm; and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Manor High School, the district said. Advisors will also be available when classes resume.

Manor Police Chief Ryan Phipps told the American Statesman that the stabbing took place in a classroom and was witnessed by multiple students who were interviewed as part of the investigation. But Phipp’s deputy, Assistant Police Chief Denver Collins, told the Statesman Tuesday evening that the fatal incident occurred in a common area of the school.

Another law enforcement official told the Statesman that the attacker used a “large knife” and that investigators were working to determine what sparked the violence. The official requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Fatal stabbings of students on school campuses are rare. The only time a student was murdered on an Austin school district campus was in 2003 15-year-old Austin student Ortralla Mosley was stabbed to death in an upstairs hallway at Reagan High Schoolnow known as Northeast Early College High School.

Manor Senior High School, which serves grades 11 and 12, closed early Tuesday and students had to be picked up for campus, according to a message the district sent at 1:26 p.m. Buses also took students home early, Manor said. district spokeswoman Maritza Gallaga. Students whose parents could not immediately pick them up were held on campus, she said.

Shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday, police directed traffic in a parking lot near the school stadium, where a long line of cars waited to pick up students. Some parents who came to pick up their children declined to comment.

Tina Salinas, a mother whose son attends high school in Manor, said she was deeply concerned about the stabbing. “It’s a little disturbing to hear that a child could bring a knife to school,” she told the American Statesman during an interview at a restaurant near the high school. Salinas said she and her son prayed for the victim and suspect. “We just prayed for peace in our schools,” she said.

This is a development story. Check back for more details.

This story has been updated to add a video.