College Student’s Attempted Murder Charge Dropped After Stabbing Classmate Multiple Times – One America News Network
OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
4:45 PM – Thursday, October 10, 2024
Kaci Sloan, an Arizona State University student, entered a not-guilty plea in Maricopa County on Wednesday after two of her four counts were dropped last week.
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Sloan is accused of stabbing a fellow student, Mara Daffron, 19, in class at Arizona State University last month in what authorities claim was a “random” attack.
Daffron was described by other students as being “bubbly” and kind. “The bubbly student needed emergency surgery for a ruptured spleen and injuries to her chest and arm,” Daily Mail reported.
In relation to the attack, Maricopa County officials first charged 19-year-old Sloan with four counts, including first-degree attempted murder. However, according to court documents, Sloan is now only charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct following her preliminary hearing on September 30th.
Sloan’s LinkedIn profile states that Arizona State University gave her a $5,000 New American University Dean’s Award scholarship.
Sloan was also given a $250,000 cash bond by Judge Ashley Rahaman, along with a list of requirements for her release in the event that she is able to post bail in full.
Sloan had walked up to her classmate, Daffron, on September 19th and suddenly stabbed her “multiple times,” according to an affidavit obtained by the press.
According to Phoenix’s FOX 10 outlet, Matthew McCormick, a student and witness who saw the attack take place in the classroom, acted quickly to put an end to the stabbing, essentially saving Daffron’s life after he forcefully grabbed the assailant’s knife and threw it.
“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 told reporters.
Their college professor was among the roughly 13 witnesses who described the attack to the authorities. The stabbing reportedly happened “without any provocation or any words spoken,” according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the press.
One of the witnesses “was able to disarm the defendant by pulling the knife away from the defendant’s right hand and threw it away from them,” according to the police report, which supported McCormick’s testimony. He then, “kicked the knife to the back of the classroom,” said another witness in the class.
“Another witness described the defendant was sitting in the classroom at a desk and suddenly got up and ran at the victim as the victim entered the classroom and stabbed her multiple times,” the affidavit added.
However, little did they know at the time, Sloan was “about to commit” a violent act no matter what, according to a handwritten letter that investigators discovered inside her backpack. Nevertheless, it “did not specifically state what she was referring to.”
In an interview with detectives after the incident, Sloan also admitted that she wanted to “hurt somebody” in class that day. She reportedly decided to target Daffron because she was “an easier target” than the other individual she was targeting before her, whom she referred to as “a veteran.”
“She’s way too afraid to go back (to ASU). Her professors are working with her to do online lectures and I hope she will be able to go back next year,” said Daffron’s mother, Launi.
As soon as the police came, they took the victim, Daffron, to a neighboring hospital so that she could get medical attention immediately.
“ASU Police continue to investigate a Sept. 19 on-campus stabbing of a student. Kaci Sloan was immediately detained and arrested on suspicion of first-degree attempted murder; aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; interfering with an educational institution; and disorderly conduct. She is being held on a $250,000 cash-only bond,” an ASU spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “ASU and the entire ASU West Valley community are deeply saddened by what happened. ASU West Valley is a close-knit campus of students, faculty, and staff. Counseling support is available to all.“
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