An Arizona college student is in the hospital after being stabbed at random by a fellow classmate who seemingly snapped the night before the attack – and picked her because she was an ‘easy target’.
ASU student Mara Daffron, 19, was attacked as she walked into her Glendale classroom on September 19.
Fellow student Kaci Sloan jumped up from her seat and stabbed Daffron twice in front of horrified classmates.
The suspect attempted to stab Daffron a third time but was fought off by another student.
Daffron was able to flee from the classroom to a courtyard, where she was met by paramedics.
Sloan’s motive remains unclear. Police say she had written notes in which she planned the attack, and that she decided to go for Daffron because she was an ‘easier’ target than another person she was thinking of going for.
Mara Daffron, 19, was stabbed as she walked into her Glendale classroom on September 19
She was left with severe injuries to her tricep and spleen which required surgery
Fellow classmate Kaci Sloan has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly admitting to the offense and stating she chose Daffron as her victim as she seemed like an ‘easier target’
Matthew McCormick, another student, was in the classroom and fought Sloan off the victim.
‘As she was going for a third attack, I was able to grab her wrists and apprehend her before further damage could be done.
‘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.
The teen has a long recovery ahead of her, but is ‘making great progress and is on the mend’, according to a GoFundMe set up to help.
‘She is home now, but still in a lot of pain,’ her mom Launi Daffron told DailyMail.com. ‘We are all in shock.’
Sloan has been charged with several charges including attempted murder in the first degree.
In a police interview, she reportedly told officers that she was debating between two people to attack but chose Daffron as she was an ‘easier target’ than the other person who was a ‘veteran’, AZ Family reports.
Sloan also allegedly admitted she came to class with the intention to ‘hurt somebody’ and planned out her attack the night before.
It remains unclear what prompted her to snap.
A search of her backpack uncovered a note which cryptically stated she was ‘about to commit’ but did ‘not specifically state what she was referring to’.
Sloan told investigators she knew Daffron’s first name but nothing else about her.
Before she went in for surgery, Daffron told officers she was ‘scared’.
Daffron has a long recovery ahead but is making progress, according to her family
Sloan reportedly told investigators she planned to attack someone the night before coming to class
‘I’m just scared because I don’t know why the f**k she would stab me,’ the Sports Business student said.
At her first court appearance, Sloan was told her actions were tantamount to a school shooting.
She has been booked into Maricopa County jail on a $250,000.
The attack occurred on September 19 on the ASU campus in Glendale, Arizona
