An altercation between two students in Perry Cafeteria resulted in a stabbing Monday evening. Mississippi State student Lonnie Charles Ball, 20, was allegedly waiting in line in the cafeteria when he and an unknown male student had an argument. The confrontation escalated quickly when Ball allegedly stabbed the male victim with an unknown object before fleeing the scene.
The stabbing occurred in front of the dinner crowd at about 6:30 p.m. Monday. Police located and arrested Ball on campus a short time after the stabbing. Ball is being charged with aggravated assault and is currently out on a $15,000 bond.
“The victim was quickly transported to the hospital, where he received stitches for some serious lacerations sustained to the upper body,” said MSU Police Detective Donald Bartlett. “The victim was released from the hospital Monday evening and is in good condition,” he added.
Several MSU students who were eating dinner in Perry Cafeteria witnessed the stabbing. Freshman Vincent Lee was getting a salad when he noticed the confrontation.
“I heard people hollering, so I looked and I saw two people fighting. Cafeteria workers tried to pull one of the men off of the other, but they kept fighting,” he said. “One of the men took his shirt off, and you could see he was bleeding from his shoulder, and he started yelling that he had been stabbed. That’s when the other guy took off running.”
Junior Kelly Clayton also witnessed the stabbing.
“It happened very quickly. They were in line, then there was a lot of pushing, then the other guy was gone. You couldn’t tell somebody had been stabbed,” Clayton said. “People rushed to help the guy. He was very coherent. I can’t believe that would happen, especially since there were cops eating right there in the cafeteria.”
Bartlett said the MSU Police Department is committed to solving crimes and preventing criminal activity.
“The campus is blessed to have the leadership we have within the department, and we appreciate the cooperation we get that allows us to investigate crime without interference. We are trying to maintain an atmosphere of peace and tranquility that is free from the oppression of thugs and criminals here at MSU.