Lacara Anita Parks Detroit mom sneaks pocket knife into Gompers Elementary-Middle School so daughter can ‘protect herself’ with teen using weapon to stab classmate.
A Detroit, Michigan mother is alleged to have admitted ‘sneaking’ a pocket knife into school, giving it to her daughter who then used it in a school stabbing ‘to protect herself.’
Lacara Anita Parks, 37, appearing in court on Wednesday faced charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of a weapon, both misdemeanors in a weapons-free school zone.
Her 13-year-old daughter was charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm and possession of a weapon in a weapons-free school zone.
School stabbing victim left traumatized
The charges stem from a stabbing on school grounds at 8:40 a.m. on Oct. 8 at Gompers Elementary-Middle School, located in the 14400 block of Burt Road, CBS News reported.
On the day of the alleged stabbing, Parks is accused of giving her daughter a pocket knife while on school grounds, ‘to use if she needed to defend herself on the way home from school,’ according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
A short time after that, her daughter allegedly stabbed another 13-year-old student multiple times, injuring her.
In a social media post, the victim’s mother said her daughter was stabbed in her head, back, and arm, and was cut from neck to ear.
‘The student body has suffered trauma as a result of this, and her daughter now is going to suffer a lifelong trauma because of this,’ said prosecutor Aniela Bosca.
The victim’s mother told Local 4 that the stabbing happened following a previous altercation on school grounds involving both girls.
Detroit mom accused of instigating school stabbing episode
Parks and her daughter were arrested on Oct. 8 and bonded the following day on $10K surety before returning to court October 15.
During Wednesday’s arraignment Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy claimed Parks knew about her daughter’s previous altercation with her classmate, and on the day of the stabbing returned home from work to retrieve a knife, which she then allegedly gave to the teen after ‘bypassing’ the school’s security, with the teen daughter shortly later using the weapon to stab the classmate.
Parks’ attorney retorted that the parent never stated giving her daughter a knife, and claimed security footage showed Parks handing her daughter an object that’s not clearly identified by the cameras.
Investigators allege the mother previously admitting to providing the weapon to the teen ‘so she could protect herself.’
The security guard involved is alleged to have failed to search Parks after a metal detector going off. The guard has since been removed and is under investigation.
Detroit school district now faces multi-million dollar lawsuit
In the aftermath of the incident, the school’s assistant principal was placed on leave while the school district conducts an internal review of the stabbing, Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti said.
The leave is part of a preliminary review into whether established safety protocols were followed on the day of the attack.
‘This case illustrates that a lot of things went wrong on many levels and as a result a child was stabbed,‘ said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. ‘It’s unacceptable. We can do so much better than this for our children.’
Parks following her court arraignment was issued a $50,000 personal bond and placed on a GPS tether. The judge ordered the mother stay away from her daughter’s school.
Parks’ 13-year-old daughter received a $10,000 cash surety bond and was also ordered to stay away from the school.
‘In this matter, the court does find that Miss Parks is a danger. I am concerned about her decision-making process that could have effect on other minor children or other individuals, people of the community,’ stated Magistrate Judge Dawn White.
Parks is expected to return to court on Oct. 29.
The victim’s family have since filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Detroit Public Schools Community District.
