{"id":2012,"date":"2026-06-19T12:04:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T12:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=2012"},"modified":"2026-06-19T12:04:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T12:04:11","slug":"mother-of-teen-killed-in-maryvale-high-school-campus-stabbing-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=2012","title":{"rendered":"Mother of teen killed in Maryvale High School campus stabbing files wrongful death lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PHOENIX \u2014 On the morning of August 19, Michael Montoya II got up and headed off to Maryvale High School, where he had just started his junior year.<\/p>\n

Read more MOST ACCURATE FORECAST: Slight cool-down heading into Father\u2019s Day weekend<\/a><\/p>\n

It was the last time Graciela Lopez would see her 16-year-old son alive.<\/p>\n

They exchanged texts that morning. Then suddenly everything went silent.<\/p>\n

Police say her son was stabbed multiple times in a classroom by another teen and later died at the hospital. A witness said the suspect, 16-year-old Chris Daniel Aguilar,<\/u> and his twin brother said they would \u201cmurder the victim” after an alleged robbery.<\/p>\n

Chris Aguilar was charged with first-degree murder<\/u>. He has pleaded not guilty.<\/p>\n

Lopez on Thursday filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Phoenix Union High School District over alleged safety failures.<\/p>\n

“We’re broken, We’re sad. We’re lost. We just have so many emotions,\u201d Lopez told ABC15.<\/p>\n

Video in the player above shows previous coverage of the deadly stabbing incident.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The lawsuit alleges a history of student violence and deadly weapons on campuses, as well as a lack of school resource officers. The suit also alleges the district programmed metal detectors to ignore smaller weapons \u2013 including the \u201csmall folding knife\u201d used to kill Montoya.<\/p>\n

“Based upon that history, a red light should have been flashing,\u201d said Stephen Montoya, a Phoenix attorney who is representing the family.<\/p>\n

The suit also alleges the district programmed metal detectors to ignore smaller weapons \u2013 including the \u201cfolding knife\u201d used to kill Michael Montoya.<\/p>\n

Read more ICE moving forward with plans for Marana immigrant detention center, DHS says<\/a><\/p>\n

“We hope that this lawsuit sets an example for the rest of the districts in Arizona and the country to demand the safety of their children,\u201d said Stephen Montoya.<\/p>\n

Phoenix Union is one of the largest high school districts in the United States with more than 25,000 students. After the deadly attack, Phoenix Union High School District said it would continue to evaluate all safety systems.<\/p>\n

The district recently announced<\/u> it will accept millions of dollars in state grant money to increase the number of school resource officers and school safety officers district-wide from six to 15.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the way it used to be before they kicked them out,\u201d said Stephen Montoya, the family\u2019s attorney. “That is a step, a stride in the right direction. But it’s only the beginning and one stride in the right direction is not going to make this go away.\u201d<\/p>\n

The school district tells ABC15 that, out of respect for the ongoing legal process, the district is unable to comment at this time.<\/p>\n

Email ABC15\u2019s reporter Anne Ryman at<\/i> anne.ryman@abc15.com<\/u><\/i>, call her at 602-685-6345, or connect on X.<\/i><\/p>\n

Read more Former presidents and celebrity guests headline dedication at the Obama Presidential Center<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The mother of a Maryvale High School student who was stabbed to death on campus in August 2025 is now filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the Phoenix Union High School District.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"yoast_head":"\nMother of teen killed in Maryvale High School campus stabbing files wrongful death lawsuit - Arizona Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=2012\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mother of teen killed in Maryvale High School campus stabbing files wrongful death lawsuit - 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