Donnell M. Phelps, a freshman at Fort Valley State University was reportedly stabbed to death this Wednesday, after coming to the aid of three female women who were being harassed.
According to the Associated Press, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent J.T. Ricketson explained that Phelps got into a quarrel with the man, former student Joseph Anthony Scott, who was harassing the three women. Scott shortly pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed Phelps multiple times.
Phelps collapsed around 5 p.m when he began to run towards campus, after realizing the severity of his wounds.
During this same time, Scott was also running towards campus, but stopped and knocked on the door of a small security guard shack. When the security officer, Ernest Johnson, opened the door, Scott immediately stabbed him repeatedly.
Luckily, the school’s internship coordinator, Donavon Coley, witnessed this and was able to restrain Scott until the campus police arrived to take him into custody. Johnson was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover from the injuries, although they were severe.
The AP explains that the GBI is still investigating the crime and that the authorities are currently in the process of filling two additional felony charges against Scott: aggravated assault and possession of a knife during a crime.
Fort Valley State’s President, Paul Jones, was quoted at the recent news conference saying, “We are just absolutely devastated. Words cannot describe the pain that we all feel in the Fort Valley State community.”
The school is determined to remain strong throughout this tragic time of loss. “We will focus on ensuring that our students and our campus community have the support they need,” Jones said. “Please keep our entire campus in your thoughts and prayers.”
Phelps was loved by many on campus, especially by his mentor Archie Williams, who was quoted saying, “Donnell cared more about other people than he did about himself,” in the university’s news release.