Franklin Regional stabbing remains fresh for medics, police, hospital staff 5 years later

The horrifying scene of a mass school stabbing in Murrysville five years ago is never far from the minds of those who experienced it.

Darrick Gerano, director of Murrysville Medic One, got several messages from former employees and other emergency responders Tuesday morning. The subjects of all were remembering when 20 Franklin Regional High School students and a security guard were injured when a then-sophomore brought two kitchen knives to the building.

“This time of year, definitely, you think about it a little bit more, but I think it’s always in the back of our mind,” Gerano said.

Tuesday marked five years since Alex Hribal, then 16, attacked students in a hallway before the start of classes. He was sentenced in January 2018 to 23-1/2 to 60 years in prison.

Hribal, along with his parents, said the rampage was the result of mental illness that grew out of years of being bullied by students. However, a judge rejected those claims, saying no evidence of bullying had been provided by investigators.

Hribal was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia after the attack. His defense attorney unsuccessfully tried to have him prosecuted in juvenile court and declared guilty but mentally ill.

Police found in Hribal’s locker a four-page manifesto titled “Ragnarok” that he wrote three days before the attack. In it, Hribal blamed fellow students for his actions and praised two teens who shot and killed children at Columbine (Colo.) High School in 1999.

Franklin Regional school district officials declined to comment.

‘FR Strong’

Emergency responders, students, teachers and others came together to help the injured in a chaotic scene that left four students seriously hurt. The community responded by posting messages of support, sending cards to those injured and donating money.

AHN Forbes Hospital, where several of the victims were taken, had its Monroeville trauma center accredited six months earlier. Hospital president Dr. Mark Rubino said that preparation greatly aided the doctors’ capabilities.

“It’s definitely something I always think about,” he said. “That was a pretty emotional day for all of us here.”

Rubino was chief medical officer at the time and addressed news reporters after the trauma center’s first mass-casualty situation.

“Looking back, it really redefined who we are as a hospital,” he said. “It really made us realize how important that first 60 minutes of care is.”

Rubino has no doubt the hospital’s team saved lives that day. Some changes in the response plan were made as a result of the experience, such as how to handle the media and family and friends of the victims.

“The community needed to be reassured … that the capabilities were in place to take care of those who were injured,” he said.

Murrysville police Chief Tom Seefeld said he has been humbled by invitations to speak at conferences and training events across the state about the response and how to prepare for future situations. It can be any time of year that memories from that day pop into Seefeld’s mind.

“I think of the victims and their resolve to get through and move forward with their lives as best they are able,” he said.

The experience has led to better training and equipment for the police department. Officers have instructed thousands of people in community groups, businesses, churches and schools on how to keep themselves safe during an active attack, he said.

“Although April 9, 2014, was a dark day in history for the Franklin Regional School District, the community and the Murrysville Police Department, God provided many blessings that day and I’m thankful for that,” Seefeld said.

An “FR Strong” banner still hangs inside Medic One’s station, a daily reminder but also a notion to be prepared, Gerano said. EMS workers have helped at out-of-state incidents, such as hurricanes, but never something on a bigger scale locally.

“We’ve been to some large-scale incidents, but nothing that hit home like this,” Gerano said.