On September 19, an Arizona State University student allegedly stabbed her colleague twice in a Glendale classroom in what appeared to be a random act.
Maricopa County prosecutors accused Kaci Lenise-Charlie Sloan, 19, of first-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and disorderly conduct with a weapon in connection with the attack on student Mara Daffron.
Daffron’s neighbors started a GoFundMe for her, stating that she was “stabbed several times, but luckily, she is making great progress and is on the mend.”
“We want our community to band together and help the Daffron family during this terrible time. “These funds will go towards anything the family may need,” according to the GoFundMe page titled “Support Mara Daffron’s Recovery Journey.” “We know Mara will come out stronger than ever from this unimaginable attack.”
Matthew McCormick, a student who witnessed the attack in their classroom, acted quickly to halt the alleged stabbing, potentially sparing Daffron’s life, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
Approximately 13 witnesses to the crime, including a professor, reported it to police, who wrote in a probable cause document acquired by Fox News Digital that the stabbing happened “without any provocation or any words spoken.”
Police confirmed McCormick’s statement in their report, noting that one of the witnesses “was able to disarm the defendant by pulling the knife away from the defendant’s right hand and threw it [sic] away from them.” Another eyewitness then “kicked the knife to the back of the classroom.”
“In that moment I didn’t have a thought going through my head I just knew that I felt compelled to do something,” McCormick told a news organization.
“Another witness described the defendant [sic] was sitting in the classroom at a desk and suddenly got up and ran at the victim as the victim entered the classroom and stabbed her multiple times,” according to the statement.
Detectives discovered a handwritten letter inside Sloan’s backpack that reportedly addressed an act she was “about to commit,” but did “not specifically state what she was referring to.”
Sloan also reportedly stated a desire to “hurt somebody” in class that day in an interview with cops following the alleged attack, and chose Daffron as “an easier target” than the other person she considered hitting, whom she referred to as “a veteran.”
Authorities responded promptly and transferred Daffron to a local hospital, where she was treated for her injuries.