New details are emerging about the teenager charged with murder in the Bronx school stabbing. Our Shannan Ferry was in the courtroom as he was arraigned.

As 18-year-old Abel Cedeno was arraigned Thursday on murder and assault charges, family and friends spoke out on his behalf. They said the teenager endured years of bullying and intimidation, before he allegedly stabbed two fellow students — one fatally — inside their Bronx school.

"I think he just felt no way out other than the way that he went," said Savannah Hornback.

Family friend Hornback says Cedeno's relatives are heartbroken by the killing, and do not condone it. But she also says he is a good person, who was pushed to the edge.

Hornback claims students bullied the suspect with homophobic and ethnic slurs at a series of schools for years, most recently at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation, where the killing occurred.

"The school was made aware and there was no action from the school, therefore he had to take things into his own hands unfortunately," Hornback said.

The NYPD's chief of detectives, Robert Boyce, says he was not aware of any plea for help.

"As far as I know, he did not reach out to anybody in the school," Boyce said.

Boyce says Cedeno claims the victims were throwing pencils and paper at him before he stabbed them with a switchblade he bought online two weeks ago.

In court, Cedeno's family and friends cried as he stood before the judge.

"Abel does not have any type of criminal record," Hornback said. "He's never been in trouble in school, so it's very hard right now, the family's also taking it very hard right now."

Boyce says Cedeno told cops he had been harassed at that school since classes began — but until Wednesday, not by the two students who were stabbed. Boyce also says Cedeno did not mention any harassment based on sexual orientation.

Cedeno is being held without bail. He is due back in court on October 3.

His mother may not be fully aware of what happened. She has been stranded in Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria.