BOULDER, Colo. – On August 27, incoming freshman Michael George Knorps, 17, was leaving the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus student center when a former campus employee began shouting incoherently and attacked him.
Kenton Drew Astin, 39, a former campus employee with a history of mental illness, was parked across the street. As Knorps was leaving, Astin left his vehicle and attacked Knorps, while shouting incoherently.
According to a release issued by University of Colorado officials, the suspect grabbed Knorps from behind and cut his throat. The injured student was able to free himself as officers from the Boulder Police Department and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office responded.
Instead of obeying demands that he drop his weapon, Astin began to stab himself with the knife. Officers deployed a Taser to disable the suspect, and then took him into custody.
Astin had been a temporary employee of the university from October 2006 to April 2007. He worked as a cashier at the grill inside the building near where the slashing occurred. He had no incidents during his employment, but did have a history of mental illness and a criminal record.
Knorps and Astin were transported to a local hospital. Knorps had surgery to repair a neck wound, and he is expected to fully recover. Astin is seriously injured and remains in the hospital.
In responding to the attack, the university sent a text message at 10:20 a.m. to approximately 1,300 students, parents, staff and faculty enrolled in a campus service implemented less than one week ago.
The university urged members of the community to sign up for text messages as a security precaution. Colleges across the country have established text messaging programs after the murders at Virginia Tech.
University Chancellor G.P. “Bud” Peterson ordered immediate criminal background checks for all new and existing employees. The University has also suspended its relationship with the program that referred Astin, as well as other similar agencies, and placed seven current employees from the program on suspension while conducting more background checks.
