Parent stabbed at South Hills Elementary awards ceremony in Fort Worth
A man was seriously injured when he was stabbed by another parent during an elementary school awards ceremony in Fort Worth on Thursday, police said.
Officers responded to South Hills Elementary School, at 3009 Bilglade Road, about 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 22.
The victim was taken to a hospital, police said, and a suspect is in custody. The injured man was transported by ambulance in serious condition, according to MedStar.
The awards ceremony reception was being held outdoors when the fight between two adults led to the stabbing, a Fort Worth ISD spokesperson said in a statement.
Police said that the event was a fifth-grade graduation ceremony. The initial investigation found that two parents who had disagreements in the past began arguing behind the school building before one of them assaulted the other.
“It’s disgusting,” said Officer Buddy Calzada, a police spokesperson. “Adults, who are supposed to be the leaders, who are supposed to be the ones that are giving the kids examples, are giving them horrible examples.”
During the argument, teachers and other school staff stood in front of the children to protect them and began to move the kids inside the building, Calzada said.
Other parents tried to separate the two men, but the argument continued, said Valerie Valdez, the parent of a South Hills fifth-grader. The two men then went to the parking lot to fight, and one man stabbed the other repeatedly, Valdez told the Star-Telegram.
Calzada said police think the suspect may have grabbed the knife from his car during the pause in the argument. He said the victim was stabbed multiple times in the upper part of his body.
Valdez ran into the school with her children, where they were placed on lockdown inside a classroom for about 20 minutes, she said.
Janelle Bello, Valdez’s 18-year-old daughter, witnessed the stabbing, Bello told the Star-Telegram.
“He started stabbing him and stabbing him, and I saw the guy start bleeding from the back of his neck,” Bello said. She tried to get her brothers and sister inside the school and away from the fight, she said.
“I’m like, I don’t know what this man is capable of doing,” Bello said.
The suspect ran away, but witnesses were able to describe him to officers and they arrested him a few blocks away from the school, police said. The suspect was identified in online jail records as 28-year-old Keshawn Fields.
Fields faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the records. Police said he could face additional charges as the investigation continues. According to Tarrant County records, Fields previously was convicted of a misdemeanor assault case in 2023, for which he served two days in jail.
“This is supposed to be a celebration where you move on to the next level in your life,” Calzada said of the graduation ceremony. “The individual in this case is giving us a horrible example of how not to lead.”
Calzada said that officers recovered the weapon when they arrested the suspect.
All students were brought inside and the campus was put on hold as a precaution, according to the school district’s statement. No one was allowed to enter or exit the building and everyone stayed in secure areas until the situation was resolved, school officials said.
“We want to assure you that Fort Worth ISD maintains a zero-tolerance policy for violence on our campuses and will pursue the full extent of the law to ensure consequences are enforced,” South Hills Elementary Principal Melissa Russell wrote in a message to parents.
The hold was lifted by Thursday afternoon and normal school activities resumed. All students and staff are safe, the district said.
Thursday was the last day of classes for students in Fort Worth ISD for this school year. The district said that South Hills parents who wanted to pick up their children early were encouraged to do so. “Our staff will work to ensure a safe and orderly checkout process,” the district said in a message to families.
Counselors are available on campus to provide mental health support for any students who need it, the district said.
This story was originally published May 22, 2025 at 1:14 PM.
