Man, 19, arrested after Surrey teacher seriously injured in morning school attack

Police have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with an assault on a teacher at L.A. Matheson Secondary School in Surrey, B.C. 

The teacher was taken to hospital with serious injuries after being attacked with a weapon at the school at around 8:25 a.m. PT Friday. Police say the victim is in stable condition.

Some staff were told that a fellow teacher was stabbed just outside the school cafeteria, CBC has learned, but police have not confirmed this.

A lone suspect was seen leaving the school grounds in a grey Kia vehicle with a covered licence plate.

The man was identified and arrested in Vancouver at about 4 p.m. PT. He is a Surrey resident and currently in custody, although no charges have been laid yet.

Investigators believe the attack was a targeted incident, but say the man is not a student or former student of L.A. Matheson Secondary School.

The school was put on lockdown that has since been lifted. Classes are cancelled for the rest of the day. 

Surrey RCMP Const. Richard Wright said classes weren't scheduled to start until 9:20 a.m, so there were few people at the school at the time of the attack.

Those who were in attendance have been interviewed and released.

According to a notice posted on the L.A. Matheson website, students who were not able to return home were sent to nearby Kirkbride Elementary School.