Students and parents protest over safety after 14-year-old boy stabbed to death at Santa Ana HS

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- A demonstration took place at Santa Ana High School on Monday, just days after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death outside the school.

Dozens of parents and students protested outside the school, demanding justice. They said they're frustrated by the school's response.

"It's for all of us, all of the kids out here, we're fighting for justice, we're fighting for our security, and our safety," said Gabby Solis, a student.

Last Wednesday, 14-year-old Armando Morales, a freshman, was stabbed to death after school.

Video recorded by another student captured the fight leading up to the stabbing, including the moment those watching realized one of the teens was swinging a knife.

"Hey, that's a knife! Guys, he has a knife," one onlooker exclaimed.

It's after that point, about nine seconds into the video, that Morales, who was wearing a gray shirt and blue backpack, steps in.

Witnesses who did not want to go on camera said the 14-year-old was trying to help his friend by breaking up the fight.

Instead, he was fatally wounded. The blade pierced his heart, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Just over 10 seconds later, the video shows a school security guard and an assistant principal arrive.

Santa Ana Police say the fight was gang-related.

Prosecutors charged one of two brothers involved in the fight with murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Santa Ana police said a second set of brothers involved -- ages 15 and 16 -- were injured but are expected to survive.

Parents and students insist the response was not quick enough and worry Morales was left to bleed out when he was walked into the campus next door.

"All of a sudden, they have all these district police officers, there's people on campus, but just until now," Solis said. "They had to wait so long to now bring us that support when it should be all around. It should always be here."

"We want the teachers are prepared, the nurse are prepared, because when this happened, they just put the kid inside because they said they don't know he's bleeding," said Gloria Solis, Gabby's mother.

A school district spokesperson says for a student body of 3,500, funding allows for five guards and one SAPD resource officer trained for this sort of response, along with administrators.

"We're still investigating and we're still trying to determine, sort of, what steps staff members -- and how they responded, and whether there's an opportunity to make improvements or whether there's an opportunity to alter our protocols," said Fermin Leal with SAUSD. "That's part of our ongoing investigation."

The memorial for Morales continues to grow outside the school.

Meanwhile, police said they're still searching for the knife used in his murder.