4 Injured in ‘Random Act of Violence’ at Louisiana Tech

Four women were stabbed on campus Monday in what Louisiana Tech University says appears to have been a “random act of violence.” Authorities say the victims—one graduate student and three non-students—were attacked after they left the Lambright Sports and Wellness Center around 9am, NBC News reports. In a statement, the university said a student, Jacoby Johnson, was arrested and charged with four counts of attempted second-degree murder. The university in Ruston, northern Louisiana, praised the “efficient actions” of campus police.

Ruston Mayor told reporters that three victims were taken to a hospital in Shreveport. The university said a fourth victim refused treatment. “We have two that we know are in critical but stable condition, one that is in stable condition,” he said, per the AP. Louisiana Tech Police Chief Randal Hermes says the women were attacked as they walked along a sidewalk. “It sounds like he ran up behind them and surprised them,” he tells the Ruston Daily Leader. The center offers fitness classes to students and other Ruston residents. KTBS reports that one victim is 72 years old, two are in their early 60s, and one is 23. (Read more Louisiana stories.)