Arizona college student accused in random classmate stabbing has attempted murder charge dropped

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Arizona State University student Kaci Sloan, who is accused of stabbing a fellow student twice in a Glendale classroom last month in an apparently random attack, entered a not-guilty plea in Maricopa County on Wednesday after two of her four charges were dismissed last week.

Maricopa County authorities initially charged Sloan, 19, with four counts, including first-degree attempted murder, in connection with the attack against student Mara Daffron. After a preliminary hearing on Sept. 30, Sloan now faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct, according to court records.

Judge Ashley Rahaman also gave Sloan a cash bail of $250,000 and listed the conditions of her release should she be able to post bail in full.

Sloan allegedly walked up to her classmate, Daffron, on Sept. 19 and stabbed her “multiple times,” according to an affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital citing multiple witness accounts.

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Maricopa County authorities charged Kaci Sloan, 19, with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct with a weapon in connection with the attack against student Mara Daffron. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)

Matthew McCormick, a student who witnessed the attack unfolding in the classroom, took swift action to stop the alleged stabbing, potentially saving Daffron’s life, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.

“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 the outlet. 

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“As she was going for a third attack, I was able to grab her wrists and apprehend her before further damage could be done.”

— Matthew McCormick tells FOX 10 Phoenix

Approximately 13 witnesses present during the attack, including a professor, recounted the incident to police, who wrote in a probable cause affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital that the stabbing occurred “without any provocation or any words spoken.”

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Mara Daffron was allegedly stabbed twice in her ASU classroom by fellow student Kaci Sloan. (Facebook)

Police corroborated McCormick’s account in their report, stating that 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.” Another witness then “kicked the knife to the back of the classroom.”

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The attack against Daffron was apparently random, according to court documents. (Facebook)

“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 states.

Detectives found a handwritten note inside Sloan’s backpack that apparently referenced an act she was “about to commit,” but it did “not specifically state what she was referring to.”

“After reading her Miranda Rights, the defendant admitted she came to class to hurt somebody and was planning the attack since the night prior.”

— Probable cause affidavit

Sloan also allegedly expressed the desire to “hurt somebody” in class that day in an interview with detectives after the incident and targeted Daffron because she was “an easier target” than the other person she apparently considered attacking, who she referred to as “a veteran.”

The stabbing occurred in a classroom on ASU’s campus on Sept. 19. (FOX 10 Phoenix)

Authorities quickly arrived at the scene and took Daffron to a nearby hospital, where she received treatment.

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“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.“

Sloan has an initial pretrial conference scheduled for Nov. 21.

Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to audrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants.