Singapore police arrest teen for suspected murder of 13-year-old boy

A 16-year-old boy was due to be charged with murder by Singapore police on Tuesday after a 13-year-old boy was found dead with multiple wounds in a school bathroom along with an ax.

According to a police statement, officers found the victim on Monday with multiple wounds and he was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic. Police said they also seized an ax at the scene.

Singapore’s Minister of Education, Chan Chun Sing, said in a Facebook post Monday that the incident took place at River Valley High School, a top school in Singapore’s western region.

The 16-year-old student was arrested and will be charged with murder in court on Tuesday, according to the police statement. Police will also seek a court order to remand him for psychiatric assessment.

Preliminary findings suggest the two teenagers did not know each other, the police statement said. Investigations are ongoing into the motive of the alleged attack.

The incident sparked shock in the wealthy Southeast Asian city-state, which has a low crime rate and is consistently ranked one of the safest cities in the world.

“Our thoughts are with the families of the students concerned,” Chan said in his Facebook post. “Ministry of Education, Singapore is rendering all possible support to them, and the students and staff at the school.”