Covenant News

Covenant Youth Injured in Anchorage Stabbing Incident

ANCHORAGE, AK (May 8, 2001) - A child from First Covenant Church in Anchorage was one of four children stabbed at Mountain View Elementary School Monday morning. His Sunday school teacher described him as "the sweetest, smartest kid that I know."

Eight-year-old Stephen Hansell was stabbed in a classroom where he and two other students were hiding along with a teacher, according to the Anchorage Daily News. Another child was stabbed outside as students waited in the playground for breakfast. Three additional children were attacked inside a classroom where they were hiding along with a teacher.

The alleged assailant, 33-year-old Jason Pritchard, muttered something about "taking people back to God" as he roamed the school, according to police and witnesses who were quoted by the newspaper. One of the most chilling incidents occurred when the alleged assailant asked Hansell, a second-grader, for his name, according to his uncle, Rob Lee, also quoted in the local news report. "OK, Stephen, get ready to meet your maker," the man reportedly said to the boy. Hansell was then cut from his temple to an area near his throat, according to his father, Dwayne Hansell.

"He was threatening everybody," said Randy Smith, chairman of the local community patrol. "He was rambling and saying religious stuff, stuff that made no sense."

Pritchard, who lives in Anchorage, was apprehended and charged four counts of first-degree attempted murder and four counts of first-degree assault. Pritchard has been arrested 13 times since 1994 on charges including assault, stalking, criminal trespass and driving while intoxicated, police were reported as saying. He is being held on $2 million bail.

The three other children were also stabbed with what police described as a filet knife and were hospitalized. About 20 pupils witnessed the attack.

Surgery went well and pastoral staff and other children visited young Hansell at the hospital, according to the youngster's Sunday school teacher. The mayor of Anchorage also visited and the governor of Alaska called Hansell on the telephone.

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