ASU West student's quick thinking likely saved classmate during stabbing incident
(Photo courtesy of Launi Schriner-Daffron)
GLENDALE, Ariz. - An ASU West student walked into a classroom on campus and was stabbed by another student on Sept. 19.
Luckily, there were others who intervened and helped the victim from further injury.
Court documents tell the story of a 19-year-old student who planned an attack and chose the victim named Mara because she seemed like an "easier target."
The quick actions of a witness named Matthew McCormick likely saved Mara's life.
"I've never seen anything like this and I hope I never do again," McCormick said.
McCormick, an ASU West sophomore, says he was settling in to class last Thursday when he heard his classmate Mara scream. That is when he realized she was being stabbed.
"In that moment I didn't really have a thought going through my head I just knew that I felt compelled to do something" McCormick said.
Police say fellow student, Kaci Sloan, stabbed Mara twice before McCormick was able to intervene.
"As she was going for a third attack, I was able to grab her wrists and apprehend her before further damage could be done," he said.
Mara was taken to Banner Thunderbird Hospital and underwent surgery for stab wounds to her tricep and her ribcage area, where the knife cut into her spleen.
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McCormick says he was not the only person in the class to step in and help Mara.
"It was a great job by everybody that was in that room; by the EMTs, the paramedics and police. Everybody responded really, really well. 9-1-1 calls were pretty instantaneous and everybody seemed pretty locked in and knew what to do," he said.
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McCormick says he hopes to meet Mara's family soon, but for now, hopes for a full recovery for his classmate.
"We miss you. To you and your family, I pray for your return and I'm just so thankful that your family was able to remain whole through this tragedy," he said.
Sloan is facing several charges in connection to the stabbing, including attempted murder in the first degree.
At her first court appearance, the judge said that her actions were comparable to a school shooting, and her bond was set at $250,000 cash only.
Mara's family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with medical bills.