The inmate suspected of stabbing Larry Nassar at a Florida prison over the weekend has been expelled after the former sports doctor made a comment while watching a women’s Wimbledon match on television, a source with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday. investigation.
The source, whom NBC News is not naming because it does not have the authority to speak publicly about the investigation, said the suspect allegedly stabbed Nassar, 59, after claiming he made a comment about wanting to see the girls play in the tournament. tennis court, prison employees said. said the source. The attack occurred in Nassar’s cell, which was out of view of any witnesses or surveillance cameras, the source said.
Details of the assault, which took place Sunday afternoon at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex near Wildwood, were released. first reported by The Associated Press.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to comment Wednesday on the inmate or what may have sparked the incident, citing the pending investigation. It has not confirmed Nassar was involved and said Monday the victim underwent life-saving measures at a local hospital and the investigation is continuing.
Nassar’s status was unclear Wednesday; NBC News previously reported that he had been in stable condition after the assault. He was stabbed twice in the neck, twice in the back and six times in the chest, and also suffered a collapsed lung.
Nassar was sentenced to decades in prison for sexually assaulting gymnasts — his accusers include Olympic champions Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney — as a longtime doctor for the USA Gymnastics team. He is serving time for convictions in state and federal courts.
He pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting gymnasts and other athletes with his hands under the guise of medical treatment for hip and leg injuries. More than 150 accusers spoke out or submitted statements detailing the abuse of him at the trial.
He also pleaded separately guilty to possession of child pornography.
In June 2022, the Michigan Supreme Court rejected a final appeal.
Nassar worked at Michigan State University and at the Indianapolis campus USA Gymnasticstraveling the world with sports elites.
He has been housed at Coleman since 2018 in a unit with other sex offenders.
Sunday’s incident was not the first time he had been robbed behind bars.
Before his transfer to Coleman, Nassar was attacked within hours of being released with the general population from a high-security prison in Arizona, where he began serving his sentence in federal prison. He subsequently he was withdrawn from the general population, youthe Detroit News reported.
Prison union leaders say Coleman has been understaffed and workers have been working extra shifts to the detriment of safety and security.
A Bureau of Prisons spokesman said Wednesday that staffing at Coleman remains a “top priority” and that the agency is actively hiring and using incentives to retain employees.
“It remains imperative that we increase our staffing levels,” the agency said.
