A stabbing incident at Louisiana Tech University on Tuesday morning left three women in critical condition and one man in custody, according to authorities.
What happened at LA Tech?
The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. at the university’s main campus in Ruston, Louisiana. According to the university’s statement, a male suspect stabbed three female victims in the area of Hale Hall, a dormitory for female students. The suspect then fled the scene on foot.
The university’s police department responded to the scene and secured the area. The victims were transported to a local hospital, where they underwent surgery and remained in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon.
The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Brandon Scott, a freshman student at LA Tech. He was arrested by the Ruston Police Department around 10:15 a.m. near the intersection of West Alabama Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, about a mile away from the campus.
Scott was booked into the Lincoln Parish Detention Center on three counts of attempted second-degree murder. His bond was set at $750,000.
How did the university and the community react?
The university issued a campus-wide alert shortly after the incident, urging students, faculty and staff to stay away from the area and remain indoors. The alert was lifted around 10:30 a.m., after the suspect was apprehended.
The university also offered counseling and support services to anyone affected by the incident. The university’s president, Dr. Les Guice, expressed his shock and sadness over the incident and praised the swift response of the law enforcement agencies.
“I am deeply saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred on our campus this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this difficult time,” Guice said in a statement. “I want to thank our university police department, the Ruston Police Department, the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana State Police for their quick and professional response to this incident. They prevented further harm and apprehended the suspect without incident.”
The incident also drew reactions from the local community and the state officials. Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker said he was “heartbroken” by the incident and offered his assistance to the university. Governor John Bel Edwards said he was “praying for the victims and their families” and thanked the first responders for their “heroic actions”.
What is the motive behind the stabbing?
The motive behind the stabbing remains unclear, as the investigation is still ongoing. According to the university’s statement, the suspect and the victims did not know each other prior to the incident. The statement also said that there was no indication of any prior threats or warnings from the suspect.
The university’s police chief, Randal Hermes, said that the incident appeared to be “random and isolated”. He said that the suspect did not have any prior criminal record or history of mental illness. He also said that the suspect did not resist arrest and cooperated with the authorities.
Hermes said that the investigation will involve interviewing the suspect, the victims and the witnesses, as well as reviewing the surveillance footage and the physical evidence. He said that the investigation will seek to determine the suspect’s mental state, his possible motives and his access to the weapon.
“We are working diligently to find out what led to this tragic incident and to bring justice to the victims and their families,” Hermes said.
