A horrifying attack took place at an Arizona college when a student was stabbed at random by a fellow classmate, who reportedly snapped the night before and chose her victim because she was an ‘easy target.’
On September 19, 19-year-old ASU student Mara Daffron was entering her Glendale classroom when fellow student Kaci Sloan suddenly jumped up and stabbed her twice, to the shock of their classmates. Matthew McCormick, another student in the room, intervened and stopped the attack.
“As she was going for a third attack, I was able to grab her wrists and apprehend her before further damage could be done,” McCormick said. “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.”
Daffron was rushed to Banner Thunderbird Hospital, where she underwent surgery for injuries to her tricep and spleen. While her recovery will be long, her family reports she is “making great progress and is on the mend.” Her mother, Launi Daffron, told DailyMail.com, “She is home now, but still in a lot of pain. We are all in shock.”
Sloan has been charged with several crimes, including attempted first-degree murder. In a police interview, Sloan allegedly admitted that she had been debating between two potential victims but chose Daffron because she was an ‘easier target’ than the other person, a veteran, according to AZ Family.
Sloan also confessed she had come to class with the intention of ‘hurting somebody’ and had planned the attack the night before.
A search of Sloan’s backpack revealed a cryptic note stating she was “about to commit,” though it did not specify what she meant. Sloan admitted she only knew Daffron’s first name and nothing else about her.
Daffron, still recovering from the trauma, expressed confusion before her surgery, saying, “I’m just scared because I don’t know why the f**k she would stab me.”
Sloan was told during her first court appearance that her actions were akin to a school shooting. She is currently being held in Maricopa County jail on a $250,000 bond. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
