The high-school student accused of fatally stabbing his classmate was arraigned on Tuesday in Bronx Supreme Court.

An attorney for 18-year-old Abel Cedeno, who was accused of fatally stabbing his 15-year-old classmate, Matthew McCree, waived her client's appearance, meaning he was not there, much to the dismay of dozens of friends and family of McCree who packed the courtroom. But, she said, he would testify before a grand jury.

Outside, McCree supporters broke into chants of "Justice for Matthew" as his mother, Louna Dennis, and the family's attorney, Sanford Rubenstein, spoke. Dennis pledged to show up for every court date. 

Rubenstein said the case would have implications for the rest of the city. He questioned why there were no metal detectors at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation, a school serving grades 6-12, at the time of the stabbing. 

"Everything is not OK," he said, "and the fact that I have a mother standing with me right here who lost her son to violence in the schools demonstrates that."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said the school started scanning students for weapons the day after the stabbing. And the schools chancellor, Carmen Farina, said on Monday that the school's teachers would get more training on how to manage conflicts and bullying. Some students told WNYC the suspect was bullied; others denied that the victim was himself a bully.

Cedeno's next court date is Oct. 17.