The 800 block of 5th Avenue in Aurora. (CREDIT: Google Maps screenshot.)

East Aurora High School was placed on soft lockdown Friday and two Aurora teens have been charged with attempted murder in connection with a Friday-afternoon stabbing of two other teens near the school.

According to an Aurora Police Department news release, the stabbing incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, in the 800 block of Fifth Avenue, across from East Aurora High School.

The Aurora teens, ages 15 and 16, and are charged as juveniles with attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery and mob action. In addition, the 15-year-old was charged with armed violence with a knife. Both were taken on Friday to the Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles.

Dozens of Aurora police officers responded to the area for the reported fight and stabbing, which took place before school was dismissed for the day. As a result of the incident and large police presence, East Aurora High School was placed on a soft lockdown while the preliminary investigation was taking place.

During the fight, the 15-year-old who was charged allegedly produced a knife and stabbed both victims, both of whom are 16-year-old Aurora males.

After the stabbing, the victims ran about one block to the west, where they were located by police and taken by Aurora Fire Department paramedics to an Aurora hospital, where they were treated for non-life threatening wounds. In the meantime, the offenders ran east and were taken into custody without incident by responding officers about seven minutes after the initial call at Ohio Street and Harriet Avenue.

A knife was recovered from the 15-year-old.

Upon investigation, Aurora police learned that the two victims were part of a five-person group, three of whom fled after the fight. All of those involved had left school early and had been involved in a verbal altercation earlier in the day inside the school. Detectives say the fight appeared to result from the earlier verbal altercation.

There were no further acts of violence or threats during the school day, inside or outside the school, police said.

One of the stabbing victims suffered multiple stab wounds while the other suffered at least two wounds. The incident is believed to be gang related. There were no other injuries.

SOURCE: Aurora Police Department news release