Texas student stabs at least 14 at Lone Star College
Doug Stanglin
USA TODAY
April 9, 2013
Authorities say a student armed with sharp object ran from building to building on campus near Houston.
A Houston-area community college student ran from building to building and stabbed at least 14 people Tuesday, critically wounding two, authorities said.
The suspect was arrested after a student tackled him on the Lone Star College-CyFair campus, Harris County Deputy Thomas Gilliland said.
The sheriff’s office identified him as Dylan Andrew Quick, 20, and said he was charged with 3 counts of aggravated assault. In a statement late Tuesday, the sheriff’s office said he used a razor-type knife.
“There were pieces of blade in at least one victim, broken blade pieces in the area where the cutting occurred, and the handle to a razor-type knife was found in a backpack that Quick was carrying when he was arrested,” the sheriff’s statement said.
The sheriff’s statement said the suspect told investigators he had fantasies of stabbing people to death since he was in elementary school. “He also indicated that he has been planning this incident for some time,” the statement said.
Initial reports suggested there was more than one attacker, but Sheriff Adrian Garcia said surveillance tapes showed “one and only one suspect.”
KTRK posted cellphone video of the arrest taken after students tackled the suspect.
Garcia said the first calls to emergency responders about 11:20 a.m. CT reported a “male on the loose stabbing people.” The attacks occurred in the Health and Science Center and possibly other buildings.
Garcia said 14 people were injured, and two were refusing treatment. Robert Rasa, of the CyFair Volunter Fire Department, put the number at 15, saying there were three people with minor injuries. He described all injuries as “consistent with lacerations.” The sheriff’s office later said there were 14 people injured.
Four of the most severely injured were taken by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute, and two others with moderate injuries arrived there by ambulance. Two were in critical condition and four were in fair condition Tuesday afternoon, hospital spokeswoman Alex Rodriguez said.
The others were transported by ambulance or personal vehicles.
A student identified only as James told KTRK that he and other students tackled the suspect and held him until police arrested him. He said the suspect was armed with a knife similar to an X-Acto blade.
James said he saw the suspect emerge from the building at a run and gave chase. James said when the suspect was tackled, he said, “I give up, I give up.”
Student Michael Chalfan, who provided the arrest video to KTRK, told KHOU that Quick was well-known on campus and was teased because he often carried a monkey sock puppet, which he would ask questions and then answer. He also was compared to the comedian Carrot Top.
Chalfan told the Associated Press that he was walking to class when he saw police officers chasing the suspect. One officer used a stun gun to help subdue the man, whom Chalfan recognized from a drama class last year.
He described Quick as “eccentric” but always friendly despite the teasing.
“I’m surprised because he didn’t look like he was hateful to the world,” Chalfan said.
KHOU reported that Quick was born deaf, received a cochlear implant as a child and was featured recently in a blog post that described how he had overcome adversity.
Students were held inside classrooms as the campus went into lockdown. One student told KTRK students held a prayer circle in the classroom.
Deputies searched all vehicles before drivers were allowed to leave campus.
On its website, splashed with a big red “Alert!” sign, the college told students to stay indoors.
“Stay away from the area,” the college advised students. “Seek shelter in a secure location until the incident is resolved.”
The school said classes would resume Wednesday.
In January, two people were shot at another Lone Star College campus. The CyFair campus is located in Cypress, Texas, about 25 miles northwest of downtown Houston.
The Lone Star College System’s six campuses serve about 90,000 students, 18,000 of them at the CyFair campus.
SOURCE:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/09/lone-star-college-stabbing/2067449/
SOURCE #2:
http://news.yahoo.com/student-
SOURCE #3:
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/