Story highlights
The suspect was shot by a police officer and is in critical condition, police say
Three people are in critical condition and one in stable condition, authorities say
Incident began in the admissions office of Miami-Jacobs Career College
Three people were in critical condition and one in stable condition after a stabbing incident Wednesday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, that ended with the suspect being shot by police, Columbus authorities said.
The attack began inside a downtown building that houses Miami-Jacobs Career College, said Columbus Police Sgt. Rich Weiner.
The stabbing victims in critical condition underwent surgery at Grant Medical Center, while the one with less serious injuries was taken to Mount Carmel West hospital, officials said. The suspect was in critical condition at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, Weiner said.
“I was here within probably a minute, minute and a half of it being dispatched, and I can tell you it was a chaotic scene,” said Columbus Police Chief Stephen Gammill.
Weiner said a confrontation between two men in the college’s admissions office led to one of the men stabbing the other. A witness in the office tried to intervene and also was stabbed, he said.
The fight then spilled into the lobby, where the man stabbed two more victims, authorities said. One of those stabbings was unprovoked, they said.
The suspect, who is not being identified by authorities, was shot outside the building by an officer responding to the scene, police said. The officer also used a stun gun to subdue the suspect.
In a news conference, Gammill praised the quick police response.
“Officers were on scene, confronted the chaotic scene, confronted the suspect and were able to stop him before he can injure anybody else,” he said.
Three knives were recovered from the scene, one inside the admissions office and two on the street where the suspect was shot, authorities said.
Police do not know the motive in the attack, and continue to interview witnesses.
“This doesn’t happen all the time, especially here in Columbus,” Weiner said. “We’ve called in some additional detectives to assist with the homicide unit.”
Chuck Vella, spokesperson for Miami-Jacobs Career College, said he had no additional information on the incident or the victims. The campus is closed Wednesday night and Thursday, he said.