Texas student accused in stabbing spree at college

Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY | USATODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Officials: About a dozen hurt in Texas stabbing Officials say about a dozen people have been wounded in a stabbing attack at Houston-area college campus. Twelve people were taken to area hospitals after the Tuesday attack on the Lone Star community college system's campus in Cypress. (April 9)

Police have not confirmed the identity of the suspect in custody

Initial reports suggesting there was more than one attacker were untrue

School announced that it would reopen Wednesday

A 20-year-old student who investigators said reported having fantasies of killing people went on a stabbing rampage at a Texas community college campus Tuesday, wounding 14 people, two of them critically, authorities said.

The suspect, Dylan Quick, was arrested after a student tackled him on Lone Star College's CyFair campus in Cypress, Texas, about 25 miles northwest of Houston, said Harris County sheriff's Deputy Thomas Gilliland.

Quick was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, the sheriff's office said in a statement Tuesday night. It said that he used a razor-type knife to stab and cut victims and that 14 people were injured.

"There were pieces of blade in at least one victim, broken blade pieces in the area where the cutting occurred, and the handle to a razor-type knife was found in a backpack that Quick was carrying when he was arrested," the sheriff's department statement said.

Quick told investigators "he has had fantasies of stabbing people to death since he was in elementary school. He also indicated that he has been planning this incident for some time," the statement said.

At least 12 people were taken to hospitals, including four by helicopter, said Robert Rasa of the CyFair Volunteer Fire Department.

Sheriff Adrian Garcia said surveillance tapes showed "one and only one suspect," despite initial reports of more than one attacker. "It was the same suspect going from building to building," Gilliland said.

Michelle Alvarez told the Houston Chronicle that she saw the attacker running toward other students and she tried to back out of his path. She said she didn't feel it as he swiped at her neck. "He came running and swinging at my neck as I tried to get out of the way," she said.

Diante Cotton, 20, said he was in a cafeteria with friends when a girl clutching her neck came in, yelling, "He's stabbing people! He's stabbing people!"

Four of the most severely injured were taken by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute, and two others arrived there by ambulance. Others went to hospitals in private vehicles. Of those six, two patients remained in critical condition, three patients were upgraded to good condition, and one was discharged, hospital spokeswoman Alex Rodriguez said.

A student identified only as James told KTRK that he and other students tackled the suspect and held him until police arrested him. He said the suspect was armed with a knife similar to an X-Acto blade.

James said he saw the suspect emerge from the building at a run and gave chase. James said when the suspect was tackled, he said, "I give up, I give up."

KHOU reported that Quick was born deaf, received a cochlear implant as a child and was featured recently in a blog post that described how he had overcome adversity.

Students were held inside classrooms as the campus went into lockdown. One student told KTRK students held a prayer circle in the classroom.

Deputies searched all vehicles before drivers were allowed to leave campus.

On its website, splashed with a big red "Alert!" sign, the college told students to stay indoors.

"Stay away from the area," the college advised students. "Seek shelter in a secure location until the incident is resolved."

The school said classes would resume Wednesday.

In January, two people were shot at Lone Star College's North Harris campus. The CyFair campus is located in Cypress, Texas, about 25 miles northwest of downtown Houston.

The Lone Star College System's six campuses serve about 90,000 students, 18,000 of them at the CyFair campus.



&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;!--iframe--&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Contributing: John Bacon; Michael Winter; Associated Press