A Connecticut teenager has been arrested in the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old high school student last weekend, police announced Wednesday.
James McGrath was killed May 14 at a house party in Shelton, a town about 10 miles west of New Haven. Cops were called shortly before midnight to the home, where they discovered McGrath lying on the sidewalk outside with stab wounds. He and three other stabbing victims—who suffered non-life-threatening injuries—were taken to a nearby hospital, where McGrath later died.
The unnamed suspect, 16, is now facing one count of murder and three counts of first-degree assault, according to the Shelton Police Department.
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He turned himself in at 3 a.m. Wednesday, Det. Richard Bango of the Shelton, Connecticut Police Department told The Daily Beast. The teen was initially detained on $2,000,000 bond at the Bridgeport Juvenile Detention Center, pending a court appearance Wednesday afternoon in New Haven Juvenile Court. The case will then be turned over to Derby Superior Court, and may ultimately be transferred to Milford Superior Court.
McGrath’s alleged killer will be tried as an adult, according to Bango, who said the court will ultimately decide whether or not he will be publicly identified. He is reportedly a student at St. Joseph High School in neighboring Trumbull and was familiar with McGrath.
Reached by phone, McGrath’s father, Kevin, told The Daily Beast on Wednesday that he and his family are “profoundly” grateful for the outpouring of support in the aftermath of his son’s death.
“The police investigation is still pending, but they have just been wonderful,” he said. “The Shelton Police Department, the neighboring towns’ departments that have supported them… We’re hoping to come to a closure.”
McGrath played lacrosse and football at Fairfield Prep, an all-boys Jesuit school on the campus of Fairfield University. On Wednesday evening, the community will “celebrate [James’] life through a lacrosse game” between Fairfield Prep and Shelton Prep, his dad said, adding, “We’re just overwhelmed by the compassion that we’ve been shown.”
The bloodshed left the quiet neighborhood stunned, area homeowners told local media outlets. Police have not released any details about a possible motive or exactly what prompted the dispute that ended in McGrath’s murder.
“Jim had so many friends who deeply cared about him,” McGrath’s obituary read. “He was a good friend who had the gift of always seeing the best in everyone and spreading happiness wherever he went. He will be so missed and his memory will be treasured by all.”
More than 1,000 mourners attended a private prayer service on Sunday at the Fairfield Prep campus. The next day, school President Christian Cashman spoke at an assembly of students, faculty, and staff. Administrators also deployed teams of priests, ministers, and counselors to help McGrath’s classmates process the loss.
“I offer once again Prep’s loving condolence and embrace of the McGrath family,” Cashman said. “May the spirit of healing peace and love enfold them, and may we be instruments of peace and healing in the days ahead. May God bless Jimmy McGrath, Class of 2023, forever a Man for Others, forever a Son of Fairfield Prep.”
The three surviving victims of the stabbing have been interviewed by detectives.
A GoFundMe campaign set up by a family friend has so far raised more than $113,000, exceeding its $15,000 goal by some 650 percent.
