The Department of Education is focusing on security outside Harry S. Truman High School after a slashing and car crash outside the school during dismissal.

Students and staff filed back into the Co-op City high school with heightened security measures today such as additional school safety officers. The Department of Education says this comes after a slashing and car crash happened at dismissal time Tuesday. While no students from the school were involved, they were around when it all happened.

According to police, a 17-year-old was slashed in the torso while he was sitting in the passenger seat of a car in front of the school Tuesday afternoon. Soon after the slashing, police say he ran into the school.

The driver of the car in which the victim was stabbed then drove off, hitting a group of people and then a PT Cruiser before ditching the car and running away on foot. Council Member Kevin Riley was meeting with the new principal of a school within the Truman building at the time of the incident.

The Department of Education released a statement to News 12 saying:

"The safety of our students is our top priority, and both the NYPD and school safety immediately responded to an external incident near the Truman High School campus. We are taking additional safety measures at the school, which entered lockdown, and working closely with NYPD."

At least seven people were hurt and later treated at hospitals for their injuries. Police are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-577-TIPS.