The suspect accused of attacking two women with a machete at Transylvania University on Friday made his first court appearance on Monday.
Mitchell Adkins, 19, faces multiple wanton endangerment and assault charges for the attack inside Jazzman’s Café. The university and nearby schools were forced into lockdown because of the attack.
In court on Monday, Adkins was arraigned and his bond was set for $25,500.
A witness inside the shop says Adkins pulled out the machete and began asking people about their political beliefs before attacking.
“He asked the first girl if she was a Democrat or a Republican. She said Republican. He said okay, then asked some other girl,” said Michael Soder, who witnessed the attack.
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Those who witnessed the attack said that the attacker told the girl who identified as a Republican that she was safe. They say that the man then moved on to the next woman and that when she gave the attacker an answer he didn’t like, he stabbed her.
Students say Adkins wrote an article on Buzzfeed where he talked about his conservative views and how he was strongly opposed to what he believed was the school’s liberal position.
It is still unknown whether or not the two women are students at the university. Both sustained non-life threatening injuries.
On Monday morning, students returned to classes after the vicious attack and the two employees at Jazzman’s Café who helped protect the students were back at work. Students gave Erika Lyvers and Marcia Figgs hugs and told them how much they appreciated them.
Lyvers and Figgs, along with the campus police chief Gregg Muravchick, jumped in to help fight off Adkins. Lyvers even tried to hit him with a chair. Transylvania University’s President Seamus Carey assisted in getting Adkins subdued by helping police handcuff him, according to a campus spokeswoman.
Transy Police Chief Gregg Muravchick said that everyone was looking out for each other that day.
Adkins will be back in court June 7th.
