The teenager charged with fatally stabbing a classmate during history class said Friday that he ‘just snapped’ after months of being bullied – as the victims mother comes out to say her son would never be a bully.
Abel Cedano gave a press conference at Rikers Island on Friday afternoon, where he has been held since stabbing Matthew McCree to death Wednesday at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation.
The teen explained that he’s been bullied since sixth grade because he is bisexual, and that on Wednesday he just ‘snapped,’ and ‘didn’t mean to kill him.’
‘They bully me because I’m different. I’m not like other boys,’ Cedano said, according to the New York Post. ‘I guess I just snapped, I didn’t mean to kill him.’
The victim’s mother Louna Dennis said on Friday ‘My son was not a bully. My son was loved.’
Abel Cedano gave a press conference at Rikers Island on Friday afternoon, where he has been held since stabbing Matthew McCree to death Wednesday at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation
The victim’s mother Louna Dennis said on Friday ‘My son was not a bully. My son was loved’
She remembered him as a 15-year-old who loved school and had plans to attend Fordham University for basketball.
The heartbroken mother also said her son would ‘beat a bully down,’ before being one himself, according to Pix 11.
Recalling her last moments with her son, she said he made her breakfast before work because she was running behind.
Ariane LaBoy, a friend of McCree’s, is now fighting for his life in hospital after he was also stabbed in the chest.
The heartbroken mother also said her son would ‘beat a bully down,’ before being one himself, according to Pix 11
The two students were attacked allegedly by 18-year-old classmate Abel Cedeno (pictured after his arrest) on Wednesday morning
McCree’s (right) 16-year-old friend Ariane LaBoy (left) is fighting for his life in hospital
McCree’s stepfather also spoke to defend the 15-year-old, saying he was ‘in no way bad.’
Kyle Victor, 34, said the media is making his son look homophobic.
‘Matthew was not like that at all and they’re making it look like Matthew did not like gay people,’ Victor told the New York Post.
But Victor said his stepson – who he raised from the age of seven – was actually ‘very loving’, according to the Post.
He added: ‘Every child has their little ways and you know a 15-year-old — emotions and hormones running around — but he was in no way bad.’
Victor also attacked the media for making McCree out to be villain in the story.
He explained: ‘They need to ask the right questions first before they paint someone and make them look like they’re some mean person.
Cedeno told reporters and police that the pair relentlessly tormented him with homophobic slurs in class and was targeted him for his ‘flamboyant’ personality.
However, on Friday he retracted that statement to say he hadn’t ever met McCree or Laboy before Wednesday’s incident.
The 18-year-old said he started carrying a knife at the beginning of the school year to ‘protect myself’.
The two students were allegedly stabbed by an 18-year-old classmate on Wednesday morning at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation in the Bronx
The incident took place about 30 minutes into a history class in front of at least 15 other students
Pictured: What is believed to be the switchblade allegedly used by the suspect to stab McCree
The incident took place about 30 minutes into a history class in front of at least 15 other students.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Bob Boyce said the suspect had been fighting with the two victims since school started back two weeks ago.
‘There were arguments going on for two weeks into the school year. It escalated today after some back and forth within the classroom,’ Boyce said.
The suspect allegedly walked out of the room after the stabbing and surrendered the knife to a counselor.
Police said he then walked into the assistant principal’s office, sat down and waited while 911 was called.
There are two schools within the one building – the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation, which is a high school and middle school combined. It also has Public School 67, which is an elementary school.