Petition backs Hanover teen charged in ax attack

A 16-year-old Hanover County student who is charged with attacking a fellow student with an ax is getting support from an online petition.

Friends of Omar has formed to persuade Hanover prosecutors not to try Omar K. Abdelaal as an adult.

Abdelaal was arrested Oct. 23 outside a Mechanicsville farm-supply store, where police say he struck a fellow Lee-Davis High School student with an ax, severely wounding the 15-year-old. The victim needed more than 100 stitches to repair damage to his face from a single blow, authorities said.

The incident was recorded on a Tractor Supply Co. surveillance tape.

Abdelaal faces up to life in prison if convicted of aggravated malicious wounding.

Hanover Commonwealth's Attorney Ramon E. "Trip" Chalkley III reiterated yesterday his plan to try Abdelaal as an adult. "That's my intention at this time," he said.

Abdelaal is being held without bond and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 13.

Hannah Coltrain, a friend of the Abdelaal family's, said she created the petition to show support for the youth. She described him as an outstanding student who had been harassed before the attack and was followed into Tractor Supply Co. by knife-wielding students.

"Although this young man certainly must pay for his mistake, he is in fact a minor and should be tried as such," the petition states.

The victim's family could not be reached for comment about the petition. There were about 80 signatures on the petition as of yesterday evening.

Contact Bill McKelway at (804) 649-6601 or .