ASU West student’s quick thinking likely saved classmate during stabbing incident

GLENDALE, Ariz. – An ASU West student entered a campus classroom and was stabbed by another student on September 19.

Fortunately, other people intervened and helped the victim from further injury.

Court documents tell the story of a 19-year-old student who planned an attack and chose the victim named Mara because she seemed like an “easier target.”

The quick actions of a witness named Matthew McCormick likely saved Mara’s life.

“I’ve never seen anything like it and I hope I never do again,” McCormick said.

McCormick, a USS West sophomore, said he was settling into class last Thursday when he heard his classmate Mara screaming. That’s when he realized she had been stabbed.

“At that point, I didn’t really have a thought going through my head, I just knew I felt like I had to do something,” McCormick said.

Police say fellow student Kaci Sloan stabbed Mara twice before McCormick could intervene.

“As she prepared to commit a third attack, I was able to grab her wrists and apprehend her before any further damage was done,” he said.

Mara was taken to Banner Thunderbird Hospital and underwent surgery for injuries to her triceps and rib cage, where the knife cut her spleen.

She’s back home now, but she will have a long recovery ahead of her.

McCormick says he wasn’t the only person in the class to step in and help Mara.

“It was a great job by everyone in that room: the EMTs, the paramedics and the police. Everyone responded really, really well. The 9-1-1 calls were “Were pretty instantaneous and everyone seemed pretty locked in and knew what to do,” he said.

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McCormick says he hopes to meet Mara’s family soon, but for now, he’s hoping for a full recovery for his classmate.

“We miss you. To you and your family, I pray for your return and I am so grateful that your family was able to remain whole despite this tragedy,” he said.

Sloan faces several charges in connection with the stabbing, including attempted first-degree murder.

At his first court appearance, the judge said his actions were comparable to a school shooting and his bail was set at $250,000 cash only.

Mara’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay medical bills.