KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Vicenta Guzman looked through the stack of photos one at a time, each a different moment in her son's life: Manuel on the football team, wearing a new outfit at a local skate venue, sporting a chef's hat after baking a cupcake.
"He always has a smile," said Guzman.
On Tuesday, 14-year-old Manuel Guzman was stabbed by another student at Northeast Middle School in Kansas City. He was transported to Children's Mercy in critical condition, but died later that day.
The male student who allegedly stabbed him has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in Jackson County Juvenile Court. His identity has not been released.
Guzman, 33, has spent the last couple of days mourning the death of her only son. She has also wondered how a student could get a weapon in a school with metal detectors at the entrance, a clear backpack policy, and a student resource officer and security guard.
"I don't understand how this is a school with more than 500 students and they only have two security guards," Guzman said.
"I want justice for my child. He did not deserve to be stabbed six times."
On Thursday, Mark Bedell, superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools, told The Star that the district is conducting an internal review of the incident and the district's security protocols.
Manuel loved to cook and play football. The eighth grader played receiver on the middle school's team and loved star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, though tight end Travis Kelce was his favorite player.
He planned on attending Southeast High School in the fall and set his sights on playing on the school's turf football field.
Guzman said he would tell her he hoped to one day play for the Chiefs.
He also had a passion for cars and was always able to explain what kind of engine a certain vehicle had.
But his favorite activity was skating at Winnwood Skate Center with his friends.
"That was his spot, that was his stress release, that was his joy," Guzman said.
She said her son did not like arguments or confrontation. And his presence rubbed off on those around him.
"If for whatever reason Manny was mad, everybody was mad," Guzman said. "But when Manny put that smile, everybody was happy."
About one month ago, Guzman said Manuel and the student who is charged in his killing got into a fight outside of the school.
On Tuesday morning, she dropped her son off just after 8:30 a.m. Minutes later she received a call from the school.
He had been stabbed. Guzman thought it may have been with a pencil. She showed up to the school and went into the bathroom. Manuel was on the ground.
"I saw nothing but blood," Guzman said. "They were giving him CPR, but he wasn't responding."
Since Tuesday, Guzman said she has seen screenshots of Snapchat messages where the student allegedly threatened to stab Manuel.
When asked Thursday afternoon if KCPS was aware of a threat being made against Manuel, Elle Moxley, a spokeswoman for the district, said she could not comment due to the ongoing investigation.
Guzman is now calling for justice. She alleges that the school was aware that Manuel and the other student had been in a fight. School officials, she said, should have had a conference with her and the other student's parents.
"I know that the boy who did it is young just like my son, but he didn't have to do this," she said. "He didn't have to take my son away."
Guzman also hopes her son's death will lead to a call to action to prevent violence. Her son's killing was the first of four homicides in Kansas City in less than 24 hours.
The violence led Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas to announce he will use federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act to help fund anti-violence prevention programs across the city.
"I would hate for families, mothers, fathers to ever go through this moment," Guzman said. "We are losing so many children. These are kids that we're talking about. We need more people to come and help."
____
(Reporter Sarah Ritter contributed to this story.)
