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Jay Laprete / AP
A member of the Columbus crime scene search unit investigates the scene where a man was shot by police after allegedly stabbing four people in an attack at a downtown office building.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A man armed with three knives began a stabbing spree in the admissions office of a technical school in a downtown office building Wednesday, injuring four people, including an employee of the state attorney general, before being shot by a police officer, authorities said.
Columbus police spokesman Sgt. Rich Weiner said the suspect confronted one victim in the admissions office of Miami-Jacobs Career College before 1 p.m. and stabbed him. He said other people intervened and took away a knife the suspect was using.
"We do know that one of the good Samaritans that came to aid the first victim — he was stabbed also," Weiner said.
Weiner said those who intervened didn't realize the suspect had other knives.
A female officer responding to a report of multiple stabbings at the college saw victims when she arrived on the scene. She confronted the suspect who was armed with two knives, one in each hand, NBC station WCMH reported, citing a police source. The suspect went toward the officer in a violent manner so she fired multiple shots. The officer was not injured.
Two of the victims were either students or staff at the privately run school, Weiner said. Two other victims were outside in the lobby area when they were attacked, he said. All the stabbings occurred on the first floor.
Read more on the Columbus, Ohio, stabbings on NBC4i.com
Three of the victims were taken to Grant Medical Center in critical condition, including a 53-year-old male who was reportedly stabbed in the face multiple times. One victim was transported to Mount Carmel West Medical Center with minor injuries.
Two of the victims were either students or staff at the privately run school, Weiner said. Two other victims were outside in the lobby area when they were attacked, he said. All the stabbings occurred on the first floor.
The suspect, the officer and the victims have not been identified.
Officers continue to question witnesses, including the officer who fired her service weapon, WCMH reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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