A student at the University of Hartford in Hartford, Conn., has been accused of stabbing two classmates while they filmed a movie in a campus residence hall.
The Hartford Courant reports that Jake Wascher, 20, is being held on $1 million bond. He has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of first degree assault.
Police say Wascher told them he was “curious what it would be like to stab someone," but later said he was acting and his emotions got the best of him.
Officials would not say why Wascher was hospitalized. He suffered minor scratches on his face after running from the crime scene through woodland and swamp, but he was not physically harmed when he was taken into custody.
A 19-year-old University of Hartford student from South Windsor suffered wounds in his chest and back. He was in critical condition at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center. A 21-year-old student from New Fairfield suffered a puncture wound in his chest and four in his back. He was treated at a hospital and released.
Police received a 911 call at about 1:30 p.m. Sunday regarding a reported stabbing at the university.
Responding officers found the two male victims suffering from multiple stab wounds.
According to his Facebook profile, Wascher enrolled in the university’s Hartt School seeking a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting. He previously attended California State University Fullerton.
In a statement Sunday night, University of Hartford President Gregory S. Woodward said he was “deeply saddened and troubled” to inform the community of the “isolated but serious incident” at the school.
“Although this was a contained and personal assault, I realize this act is extremely upsetting,” Woodward said. “Sadly, university and college campuses are not immune to the challenges that have become too common in society today.”
