THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 7, 1994 TAG: 9407070462
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN E. QUINONES MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
An Old Dominion University student sprang from his front-row seat Wednesday and stabbed his calculus instructor in the shoulder before a classroom of stunned students.
``We couldn't believe it; everybody thought it was a joke at first, until we saw blood start gushing. Then we all hurried up and got out of there,'' student Kevin McCaskill said.
The teacher, Carl Panetta, 28, of the 1100 block of Bolling Ave., was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he received 12 stitches to close the wound to his left shoulder. He was released Wednesday afternoon.
His alleged assailant, Shaheen Malkamy, 21, was taken into custody by campus police and was being held at the Norfolk City Jail without bail on a charge of malicious wounding. No motive for the stabbing has been reported.
``The teacher had just explained a math problem and asked if there were any questions, and the guy just stood up and stabbed him,'' McCaskill said. ``Then he pulled the knife back and dropped it to the floor. The whole time he never said a word.''
McCaskill and other students said they saw Malkamy put his hand in his yellow school bag a number of times during class. They said he probably drew the weapon, described as a steak knife, from the bag.
University officials said that Malkamy was a part-time student in the computer science department who lives in the Powhattan Apartments on campus and had been attending classes since the fall semester. They said his permanent address listed in school records is the 1600 block of Fairfax Drive in Virginia Beach. He was summarily dismissed from the university after the 10:30 a.m. incident.
Students said Malkamy made no attempt to flee after the attack, and appeared to be in shock.
``He just stood there and stared at Panetta with no expression on his face at all,'' another student, John Junek, 21, said. ``He never turned around and sat back down or tried to run or anything. He just stood there . . . staring.''
Junek said Panetta also seemed to be in shock and stood holding his shoulder, saying, ``Oh, my God'' over and over again, but not moving away from his assailant. Junek said he grabbed the teacher by the right shoulder and tried to pull him out of the room.
``I kept saying, `Come on, come on,' and the teacher was like, `But . . . but,' and I said, `Come on, you've gotta get out of here.' Then the teacher said, `My watch, I left my watch on the desk,' and I told him we'd get it later and I got him out of there,'' Junek said.
Junek took off his T-shirt and gave it to Panetta to press against his wound, then called campus police.
Panetta is a teaching assistant at ODU, working on a doctoral degree in mathematics, with a specialization in mathematical models of chemotherapy, according to his faculty adviser, John Adam.
``He's been teaching here for about three years and is considered a very professional and dedicated individual,'' Adam said. ``He's also a very charming individual.''
Panetta's students called him one of the best teachers in the ODU math department and said he took time to go over difficult mathematical concepts again and again.
``He always answered questions for anybody without any hesitation,'' Brandon Vaughan, 19, said. ``He was the nicest guy, never lost his temper, and always smiling.''
None of several students interviewed knew Malkamy's name.
``He was kind of strange . . . always wearing the same clothes and never saying anything to anybody,'' Jessica Templeton, 19, said. ``Even when he asked questions in class, he did it differently. He would write down the question on a piece of paper and call the teacher over to look at it.''
Students say Panetta always came over to answer Malkamy's questions.
Aaron Henderson, 19, said he had come to class a little late Wednesday morning and was surprised when Malkamy moved his books and yellow book bag from the chair next to him and offered the seat to Henderson.
``I was thinking to myself, he's not such a bad guy,'' Henderson said. MEMO: Staff writer Mike Mather contributed to this story.
ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
Shaheen Malkamy
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/Staff
ODU student Aaron Henderson, 19, describes how his calculus
instructor, Carl Panetta, 28, was stabbed in class Wednesday.
KEYWORDS: STABBING ARREST INJURIES by CNB