Police Kill California Student After Campus Stabbing of 4
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A student wielding a hunting knife stabbed four people at the start of a class on the campus of the University of California, Merced, before he was shot and killed by university police officers, law enforcement officials said.
Dorothy Leland, the university chancellor, said two students, a student adviser and a contractor were injured in the attack on Wednesday. Two of the people who were stabbed were taken by medical helicopters for treatment, while the others were treated on campus. None of their injuries were considered life-threatening, Ms. Leland said.
Officials said at a news conference that the assailant was a student in his 20s who lived on campus, The New York Times reported.
The Merced County sheriff, Vern Warnke, said the police were not able to release his name because they had not reached his next of kin, who live elsewhere in the state.
The attacker walked into a class as it was starting and stabbed a student, said the university police chief, Albert Vasquez. A contractor heard the commotion and, believing it was a fight, ran into the classroom to intervene. He was stabbed in the process, Chief Vasquez said.
The attacker then fled the classroom and stabbed the student adviser and a student who rushed to help the adviser, Chief Vasquez said. He was stopped by two university police officers, who shot him after he turned toward them. Officials said they could not immediately provide any details about the possible motive for the attack or about what students or other witnesses have said.
The knife was the only weapon found, Sheriff Warnke said.
Classes were canceled and the campus remained on precautionary lockdown, Ms. Leland said. The school was expected to reopen on Friday.
