By Malcolm Butler
Louisiana Tech Police Chief Randall Hermes confirmed that Jacoby Johnson of Rayville, the perpetrator of random acts of violence against four victims this morning at the Lambright Intramural Center, has been interrogated and is being transported to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center around 2 p.m.
Johnson was arrested around 9:30 a.m. after stabbing four victims as they departed the University’s intramural center around 9:10 a.m.
Three of the victims were transported to medical facilities — two to Northern Louisiana Medical Center and one to a Shreveport-based medical facility — following the attacks by Johnson. The fourth victim refused treatment.
Hermes said that the acts appear to be totally random and that Johnson – a 23-year-old Tech student –appears to suffer from mental conditions. He doesn’t believe Johnson’s mental state was impacted by any type of drugs or alcohol.
“We don’t believe that he was on any kind of drugs,” said Hermes. “He apparently suffers from mental issues. Obviously, anyone who would do anything like this. He didn’t specifically target anybody.
“It wasn’t like he was identifying people and say ‘I’m going after that person.’ At least not from what we can tell. They were just there. They were victims of opportunity and he was lashing out.”
Johnson is from Rayville.
Although names of the four victims have not been released, one of the victims — Dominique Moses McKane — was identified by a social media post by her husband. McKane is a graduate student at Tech who was preparing to conduct an aquatics class for a group of senior adults. According to other sources, at least two of the victims were leaving the facility following an exercise class.
Hermes said additional information isn’t available due to the on-going investigation.
“Some of the information is still part of the police investigation so we can’t provide more details,” said Tech Police Chief Randall Hermes.
Johnson was arrested shortly after the attack as he had crossed West Alabama Avenue on foot and was in the vicinity of the student apartments directly behind JC Love Field at Pat Patterson Park. Johnson was taken to NLMC for his self-inflicted wounds.
As of 2 p.m. all of the victims were still alive although at least one was in critical condition.
Hermes said Johnson would be charged with multiple counts but couldn’t verify exactly what all the charges would be.
