Community Mourns After Pebblebrook Senior Fatally Stabbed

The Pebblebrook High School community is in mourning following the tragic death of 17-year-old senior David Daniel, who was fatally stabbed the evening of Saturday, September 13th.

According to Cobb County Police, officers were dispatched around 5:41 p.m. to a residence on Milam Creek Road in Mableton in response to a medical call. They found Daniel on the front porch suffering from a stab wound to his torso. He was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

Police have charged 16-year-old Jordan Christopher Hobbs, a classmate and fellow athlete, with felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime. Hobbs was taken into custody “without significant incident,” according to Sgt. Eric Smith, a spokesperson for the Cobb Police Department. Arrest warrants allege Hobbs stabbed Daniel during a dispute over a video game.

Daniel, described by school officials as active in athletics, was deeply involved in the Pebblebrook community. In a letter to students and staff, Principal Dr. Dana Giles called his death “a great loss to all who knew this student” and acknowledged that another student was also involved in the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

“While the incident occurred away from school, the loss is felt profoundly across the school community,” Cobb County School District said in a statement. Counselors have been made available to support students and staff processing the loss.

Parents and neighbors expressed their grief. “Every day when I get a phone call or something from Pebblebrook, my heart just drops,” said Ruth Lancaster, whose grandson attends the school. Crystal Smith, an aunt of a Pebblebrook student, added, “This is mind-blowing just to hear about that. It’s happening too close.”

The tragedy comes just days after a separate incident on campus, when a fight involving a BB gun in a school restroom led to two students being charged and prompted a lockdown.

During Thursday’s Cobb School Board meeting, tenants’ rights activist Monica DeLancy offered a moment of silence for Daniel and the Pebblebrook community.

The case remains under investigation. Detectives are urging anyone with information to contact the Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit at 770-499-3945.