Santa Ana High School student charged with murder of classmate

Santa Ana teen charged with murder

A 15-year-old boy at Santa Ana High School has been charged with murder days after a gang-related triple stabbing on campus.

SANTA ANA, Calif. - A 15-year-old boy at Santa Ana High School has been charged with the murder of a classmate.

The backstory:

On Wednesday, May 7, three students were stabbed during a fight which broke out in the school parking lot around 3 p.m.

Three students, all boys - ages 14, 15, and 16- were taken to a hospital. The 14-year-old, identified as Armando Morales, later died.

The 15-year-old suspect and his 17-year-old brother turned themselves in to authorities later that night.

Santa Ana police said the deadly incident was gang-related. The defendant and his big brother are considered documented gang members, and the others, except for the boy killed, are associated with a rival gang, said Santa Ana police Officer Natalie Garcia.

The 15 and 16-year-olds who were also stabbed are brothers. 

Security has been increased at school and grief counselors have been made available to students. A memorial of flowers is also growing outside the school.

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 know:

The suspect was also charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon for stabbing two other classmates. It's unclear whether his brother was charged with any crime. The Orange County District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to a message.