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A female student was attacked and stabbed numerous times about 8:25 a.m. Wednesday at the downtown campus of Milwaukee Area Technical College, and a male suspect was quickly taken into custody by MATC public safety officers, Milwaukee police and campus officials said.

The woman knew her attacker, also a student, and the stabbing may have been the result of a domestic dispute, officials said.

The 24-year-old woman was taken to Froedtert Hospital and was in critical condition.

MATC President Michael L. Burke and Milwaukee police Lt. Ray Gibbs stressed that the attack was not random.

"The campus is safe and secure. There's no threat to campus at this point. Classes are continuing. We have sequestered off the area where the event happened, obviously. But there is no threat that we can ascertain at this point," Burke said during a news briefing outside campus buildings along 700 W. State St.

Gibbs said: "This wasn't just someone coming in and just stabbing people. This was a couple of people with a relationship of some sort that we're still getting to the bottom of."

Police recovered the weapon from the suspect, who's also 24 years old.

Students were notified by staff members and via email about the stabbing, which occurred in the main classroom building at MATC, in a room for student clubs and organizations.

MATC said the stabbing incident was contained to a single office, and staff and students provided immediate care to the victim.

Campus officials said all classes were being held as scheduled.

Counseling was being made available at all MATC campuses for students, and the college said employees could seek help through the employee assistance program.

Rosetta Robinson, 33, a cosmetology/barbering student, said MATC should think about boosting its security.

"He was just able to walk in the school and stab her," said Robinson, of Milwaukee. "This is horrible. Let's just say somebody tried to stop him, they could have got hurt, too. . . . This is kind of scary."

Students and the public can enter MATC buildings without going through security.

Robinson said MATC should consider having people pass through metal detectors, as they do at some schools and public buildings.

"That's what we need. Because violence can happen anywhere at anytime," Robinson said.