By Rachel Zarrell

Two Northeastern students were stabbed and a third was taken into police custody following an altercation on Westland Ave. early Sunday morning.

The Boston Police Department (BPD) responded to 24 Westland Avenue at 3:25 a.m. following the report of a fight and subsequent stabbings, according to BPD’s news blog.

Middler Chinese and International Affairs major Ryan Wilson told The News he was one of the students stabbed in the fight. Wilson said he and a friend, middler Zachary Winston, were walking back from a party on Westland Avenue when Winston began arguing with a student who neither knew. Wilson said he is unsure what triggered the argument with the student.

The argument escalated and Winston pulled out a knife, Wilson said. The other student, whose identity was not released by BPD as of press time, was stabbed multiple times and taken to Boston Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

Lewis Ehrlich, a member of the men’s soccer team, confirmed that teammate and sophomore Matthew Sanford was involved in an incident early yesterday morning and was in the hospital yesterday. Ehrlich said the team held a meeting last night about it.

Athletics Director Peter Roby declined to comment.

During the fight, someone also stabbed Wilson in the lower back, Wilson said.

The condition of the unidentified student was unknown as of press time, but his injury was described as non-life threatening on the BPD news blog.

“I have no idea how it got to that level,” Wilson said. “I just turned my head and saw it happening and went to break it up. For all I know, [Winston] may have been the one who stabbed me.”

Wilson and Winston fled the scene, according to the BPD blog. Police were able to locate them in an apartment at Douglass Park on 650 Columbus Ave. based on suspect descriptions and a trail of blood going into the apartment, said BPD spokesperson James Kenneally. Winston, who was found bleeding from his hands, was taken into custody and has been charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, according to the BPD news blog. Wilson was taken to Boston Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

Wilson was originally considered a suspect, Kenneally said. However, he was dropped from the case.

The scene was so gruesome, BPD initially believed the victim may not survive, and that they would find other stabbed victims across campus.

“The initial officers believed they had a homicide,” said the Northeastern University Division of Public Safety (NUPD) Captain and Associate Director Albert Sweeney. “The volume of blood and the degree was such that they believed that they were chasing an active killer.”

The university would not release further information beyond a statement posted on the myNEU portal last night.

“The details of the incident are unclear, and the Boston Police Department is currently investigating the facts and circumstances,” the statement read. “The university will continue to monitor this situation closely and provide additional information to the community as appropriate.”

– News staff Maggie Cassidy

contributed to this report.