Staskov school stabbing: teacher (61) killed in Slovakia
An eighth-grader attacked two teachers and a girl with a knife after the first class in a Slovak village, and the school cameras were off because of a planned power cut.
A knife attack at a school in Staskov, a village in northern Slovakia’s Cadca district near the Czech border, killed one teacher on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and wounded another teacher and a girl. Slovakia now joins the list of European countries where school safety is debated only after an attack, much as Serbia did after the shooting at Belgrade’s “Vladislav Ribnikar” school in May 2023.
According to Slovak Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok, the attack was carried out by an eighth-grade student of the same school, after the first class of the day. Sutaj Estok said so at a news conference in Staskov.
What is known about the victims and the attacker?
The teacher who died was 61 years old. The second teacher, a 44-year-old woman, suffered a stab wound to the chest and, after first aid at the scene, was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Zilina. Health Minister Kamil Sasko said she is out of danger: “The second teacher is currently out of life-threatening danger, after she also received medical care,” Sasko added.
The girl was the most seriously hurt. A helicopter crew took her to a hospital in Martin in critical condition, and Sasko said doctors are doing everything they can to save her life. Petra Klimesova, spokeswoman for the Emergency Medical Services Operations Center, confirmed the number and age of the injured to the Slovak news agency TASR:
“One 61-year-old woman died after the attack carried out this morning by a primary school student in the town of Staskov,” Klimesova told TASR, adding that a child and a 44-year-old woman were also injured in the attack.
Two ambulances and two rescue helicopters were sent to the scene after the attack was reported, along with police. The attacker was detained, Sutaj Estok said.
Why did the school cameras not record the attack?
The school in Staskov has a video surveillance system, but it was not working. According to Sutaj Estok, the reason was a planned power cut. He gave that detail alongside information about the attacker and the teams sent to the school.
The interior minister also set the limit of what can be discussed at this point:
“Procedural steps are under way, including securing the crime scene, the investigation is ongoing and we will not comment in any way on possible motives,” Sutaj Estok said.
Slovak police, as reported by the news portal Nova, confirmed that the investigation continues and appealed to the public not to spread unverified information. Intervention teams and psychologists were sent to the school, where they are offering counseling and support to students and staff.
How did Slovak officials react?
Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok, Health Minister Kamil Sasko and Education Minister Tomas Druker visited the scene. Prime Minister Robert Fico said schools must be safe places for children, because otherwise nobody will have a future. President Peter Pellegrini said the attack at a primary school is a serious warning to society as a whole.
Prosecutor General Maros Zilinka said the tragedy is a warning to the whole of society to confront violence, hatred and growing aggression more seriously. The student council expressed solidarity with the students, teachers and families affected by the attack, saying schools must be safe and calling for a systemic approach to security in educational institutions.
Police are continuing their on-site investigation, and more details about the circumstances of the attack should be released once the investigation is complete. The motive is not known for now, and officials have explicitly said they will not comment on it.
