Indiana University student stabbed on bus because she is Asian: Court docs
An 18-year-old Indiana University student was hospitalized after a woman stabbed her multiple times on a bus near the university’s campus in what authorities say was a racially motivated attack.
According to Bloomington police, first responders were dispatched to a bus stop at W. 4th Street and B-Line Trail around 4:45 pm Wednesday after reports of an assault with injuries.
The 18-year-old victim, an Asian student at Indiana University, told investigators she was standing and waiting for the exit doors on a Bloomington Transit bus to open when another passenger, 54-year-old Billie Davis, began hitting her in the head , Bloomington police said in a release.
This photo provided by the Bloomington Police Department shows Billie Davis. (Bloomington Police Department)
Davis struck the victim several times in the head with a folding knife, saying “it would be one less person to blow up our country.”
The 56-year-old woman and the student did not interact before the vicious attack, bus surveillance footage shows.
A witness, who was also riding the bus, followed the woman’s attacker and contacted police, who later arrested Davis.
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Court documents show Davis admitted to targeting the teenager because of her race, according to WNDU-TV. Davis has been charged with attempted murder, a Level 1 felony, as well as aggravated battery.
She is being held in the Monroe County Jail on a $1,000 bond.
The victim was treated at the hospital for multiple stab wounds. Her name was not released.
“This week, Bloomington was sadly reminded that anti-Asian hate is real and can have painful impacts on individuals and our community,” Indiana University Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs James Wimbush said in a statement. “No one should face harassment or violence because of their background, ethnicity, or heritage. Instead, the Bloomington and IU communities are stronger because of the great diversity of identities and perspectives that make up our campus and community culture.”
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Bloomington is in southern Indiana. Mayor John Hamilton called behavior like the bus attack “unacceptable” and said it would be “dealt with accordingly”.
“We know that when a racially motivated incident like this resonates throughout the community, it can make us feel less safe,” Hamilton said in a statement Saturday. “We stand with our Asian community and all those who feel threatened by this event.”
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In recent years, Asian Americans have increasingly been the target of racially motivated harassment and attacks, especially since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. A report by Stop AAPI Hate published in 2021 showed that 9,000 cases of anti-Asian hate crimes had been reported since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sarah Rumpf is a Fox News Digital Production Assistant. You can reach him on Twitter at @rumpfsarahc
