Nate Scimio's hospital selfie (Nate Scimio, Twitter)
Nate Scimio's hospital selfie (Nate Scimio, Twitter)Twitter

A Pennsylvania teenager is being hailed as a hero, after he pulled the fire alarm in school to alert other students about a knife-wielding 16-year-old going on a stabbing rampage. Nate Scimio, who was injured in the attack, is now rapidly rising to fame through a proud selfie he took at the hospital, showing his wounded hand

Scimio was among the 20 people -19 students and a school security guard - who were injured in the attack that began around 7:13am Wednesday at the Murrsville school. Murrysville police chief Thomas Seefeld later said that Scimio's bold move to pull the fire alarm prevented more stabbings.

The brave teen was becoming popular online with several Twitter users hailing him as a hero, and his fame skyrocketed hours later, when he posted a picture of himself in a hospital gown, with a lopsided grin on his face and pointing at his bandaged right arm.

Scimio is understood to have not only alerted the other students about the situation but is also believed to have been injured when he stepped in front of other students, in order to save them from the attack. From the photo that he posted, it appears that he suffered cuts on his right arm, though he did not seem to be in a serious condition.

According to CNN, four people among the 20 injured are in critical condition, including one who was 'eviscerated' and may not survive. The attacker, who is now recognized as Alex Hribal, faces four counts of attempted homicide and 21 counts of aggravated assault.

Reports also suggest that an assistant principal of the school tackled the attacker to bring him under control. However, Scimio, who saved several lives by pulling the alarm, remains the focus of most of the news stories in the United States.

(Edited by Vishnuprasad S Pillai)  

Here are some of the reactions from the fans of the new teen hero: