Contact: Sid Salter
UPDATE: Aggravated assault suspect Jessie Michael McGee Jr, 28, of Starkville, turned himself in to authorities Saturday [July 27] evening.
STARKVILLE, Miss.—What investigators believe at this time was an isolated workplace dispute between two custodial staff members resulted in a stabbing incident at Mississippi State University that left one staff member with serious injuries and the other the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation.
MSU Police Department responded to a late Friday afternoon call at the Colvard Student Union reporting a stabbing. Officers found a male victim with injuries who was transported to OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville for treatment and evaluation. The victim was reported in serious but stable condition.
Both the victim and the alleged assailant are employed by MSU as custodial workers. The identities of both individuals are being withheld while the investigation continues, but MSU Police know the identity of the alleged assailant and are working with area law enforcement to apprehend him.
A Maroon Alert notification was circulated at 5:12 p.m. warning students, faculty and staff of the incident and subsequently cleared at 5:57 p.m. after university officials confirmed that the incident was an isolated workplace dispute rather than a random attack.
“I appreciate the professional manner in which this unfortunate incident was handled by our MSU Police and the Division of Student Affairs,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “Workplace violence is not something we’ve often encountered on this campus, but it’s a daily reality in the private sector and in public institutions and that’s why we anticipate such incidents and train our faculty, staff and students to effectively cope with matters like this if they arise.”
The Colvard Student Union will reopen with full services at 7 a.m. on Saturday, July 27.
The university will provide updates on this incident as new information becomes available. Media members should direct all inquiries on this matter to MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter at 601-507-8004 or ssalter@opa.msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.