4 Youths Stabbed in Alaska School

ANCHORAGE —  A man who rambled and said “stuff that made no sense” stabbed four children at an elementary school Monday before he was subdued by police, authorities and witnesses said.

The children were stabbed in the neck, police spokesman Ron McGee said. The victims were rushed to two hospitals. All four boys were in serious condition.

The stabbings occurred shortly before classes were to begin at Mountain View Elementary School. McGee said about 20 pupils witnessed the attack.

Jason Pritchard, 33, of Anchorage was charged with four counts of first-degree attempted murder and four counts of first-degree assault. He was being held on $2-million bail.

Police shot Pritchard with three rubber bullets and took him into custody inside the school.

McGee said he appeared delusional when the attack occurred.

“I’ve heard reports that he was muttering things about taking people back to God,” McGee said.

Randy Smith, chairman of the local community patrol, was among the first to arrive on the scene. He found the suspect in a classroom with a teacher and an injured boy.

“He was threatening everybody. He came towards us a couple of times. We kept him from getting out of the classroom,” Smith said. “He was rambling and saying religious stuff, stuff that made no sense.”

The man had broken a window on a classroom door and had thrown desks into the hallway, Smith said.

Pupil Ashley Smith, 11, said her brothers Billy Moy, 8, and Eric Moy, 9, were both cut on their throats. Her grandfather, Keith Leonard, said both boys underwent surgery and were doing well.

The names of the other two boys were not released.