The Secondary Four student, who cannot be named as he is a minor and protected under the Children and Young Persons Act, was accused of one count of murder, according to Channel News Asia (CNA).

The teenager, who appeared in court via video link, was accused of causing the death of a 13-year-old boy between 11.16am and 11.44am yesterday in the school’s toilet.

Dressed in a red shirt, the teenager with tousled hair responded “yes” to the judge when questioned several times.

The prosecution asked that the court remand the boy at Changi Medical Centre for psychiatric evaluation.

The police prosecutor told the court that preliminary investigations revealed that the accused had been a patient at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) after attempting suicide when he was 14 years old.

“Given the circumstances, we are submitting that he requires psychiatric evaluation,” the prosecutor was quoted as saying.

The boy’s lawyer, Peter Keith Fernando, confirmed that this happened when his client was in Secondary Two.

The judge ordered the accused to be remanded for psychiatric observation for three weeks and to return to court on Aug 10.

Yesterday, the school was placed under a lockdown in the morning with teachers and students ordered to remain in their classrooms. They were released only after 3pm, a media report said.

A parent, Jacky Huang, 43, said he rushed to the school after receiving a message from his daughter that there was someone wielding an axe in the school.

He showed text messages and a video sent by his daughter showing schoolchildren running from the crime scene.

River Valley High School, in the Boon Lay area in Jurong West, is a secondary school with students aged 12 to 18.