(DailyVantage.com) – Kaci Sloan, a 19-year-old Arizona State University (ASU) student accused of a random stabbing attack on fellow student Mara Daffron in a Glendale classroom, has pleaded not guilty to charges following her arrest. The incident occurred on September 19, when Sloan allegedly stabbed Daffron twice in a seemingly unprovoked assault. After reviewing the case, Maricopa County authorities reduced her initial four charges, including first-degree attempted murder, to aggravated assault and disorderly conduct.
During a court hearing on Wednesday, Sloan entered her not-guilty plea. The judge set her cash bail at $250,000, outlining the conditions of her potential release. According to multiple witness accounts, Sloan attacked Daffron without warning or provocation as she entered the classroom. Matthew McCormick, another student in the class, quickly intervened, grabbing Sloan’s wrists to prevent further harm. McCormick told the press that he acted on instinct, adding that Sloan appeared to be going in for a third attack when he stopped her.
Police reports confirmed the accounts of the 13 witnesses present, including the classroom professor. One of the witnesses was able to disarm Sloan by pulling the knife from her hand, while another kicked it away, preventing further violence. Authorities later described the attack as random, with no prior interaction between Sloan and Daffron.
Investigators discovered a handwritten note in Sloan’s backpack that referenced a plan she was “about to commit,” although it did not detail the nature of her intentions. Following her arrest, Sloan admitted to police that she came to class intending to harm someone, having planned the attack the night before. She told detectives that she targeted Daffron because she viewed her as “an easier target.”
Daffron was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment following the attack. ASU officials released a statement expressing their sadness over the incident and noting that counseling services were made available to the university’s close-knit West Valley campus community.
Sloan’s initial pretrial conference is scheduled for November 21.
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