Everett man sentenced to 20 years for stabbing boy walking to school

Andrew Freeman will spend the next two decades in state prison after a judge sentenced him on Tuesday for stabbing a middle school student in north Everett. The 21-year-old man received a 20-year term for first-degree assault with a deadly weapon. The sentence also included a rapid recidivism aggravator, a penalty applied to defendants with prior convictions who reoffend within a specific timeframe.

The attack occurred on the morning of January 16, 2025, just before 8 a.m. on 25th Street. Freeman stabbed the 13-year-old boy with a folding pocketknife while the student was walking to North Middle School. When the boy attempted to flee, Freeman chased him and struck him a second time. The student reached the school with stab wounds, prompting staff to call police. Medics transported the boy to Providence Regional Medical Center in stable condition.

Freeman had been in local custody that same morning for a drug charge. He was released from jail shortly before the stabbing. Police launched an immediate search using drones and K-9 units but failed to find him. Detectives then released surveillance footage from nearby businesses and designated Freeman a person of interest. A community member who had seen the bulletin recognized Freeman and called 911, leading to his arrest on January 29, 2025.

The defendant carries a history of violent offenses in the region. Court records show he was convicted of second-degree robbery and third-degree assault in 2022 and 2023. One of those incidents involved an attempted robbery of a 69-year-old woman in Federal Way. He also holds four misdemeanor convictions for graffiti in Everett. Authorities have not released a motive for why Freeman targeted the student that morning.

Freeman will serve his sentence in the custody of the Washington State Department of Corrections. The 20-year term reflects the severity of the first-degree assault charge combined with his prior criminal record. The case concluded with the sentencing, ending the legal proceedings for the January incident.

The victim has recovered and returned to school. Freeman’s legal team did not file an appeal immediately following the verdict. The prison sentence begins upon his transfer from local custody to a state facility.