Four correctional officers are reported hurt in a stabbing incident at Lanesboro Correctional Institution, a prison in Polkton, North Carolina, that keeps inmates in minimum or medium custody, according to report by WCNC.com.
This story is breaking and will be updated as soon as further details become available.
Here’s what is known so far.
1. The Stabbings Happened at About 2 p.m. Thursday
The reasons behind the attacks are not yet clear. The names of the four victims have not been made public, but all were male, WCNC reported.
The Lanesboro CI prison is located about 75 minutes by car southeast of Charlotte, North Carolina. The wounded officers were transported by airlift to Carolinas Medical center in Charlotte.
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2. Two of the Four Corrections Officers Were Stabbed
Two correctional officers were stabbed, though details of what type of sharp implement was used to stab the officers was not available by 4:50 p.m. Eastern time. The other two were assaulted and beaten by an inmate using a broom handle as a weapon. Those two CO’s were treated on the premises by prison medical staff, The Charlotte Observer newspaper reported.
3. The Injuries to Two of the Guards are Called “Very Bad”
The two correctional officers who were stabbed were airlifted to a nearby hospital. A prison official described the wounds to at least one of the officers as extremely serious and life-threatening, according to a report on the WSOC TV online site.
According to the above notes taken by WCNC TV News reporter Xavier Walton, one guard was stabbed in the back and one in the throat. At least one of the guards suffered “severe stomach wounds.”
The two guards who were stabbed were a lieutenant and a sergeant.
4. At Least Three Inmates Are Suspected in the Stabbings
According to media reports, three inmates believed to have carried out the attacks on the guards have been identified and are under questioning. North Carolina’s State Bureau of Investigation has been called into the investigation, assisting the Polkton police. The prison has ben placed on temporary lockdown.
5. The Prison Houses About 1,850 Inmates, All Men
Lanesboro Correctional Institution has a lengthy history of attacks by inmates against staff members, according to a report earlier this year by WSOC TV. The report quoted former guards at the prison complaining of understaffing, which leaves correction officers vulnerable to inmate attacks.
In 2015, there were 64 assaults against staff members there, out of 994 total violent incidents in Lanesboro all year.