聲 The victim of the stabbing, Michael George Knorps, 17, is a freshman from Wannetka, Ill. He has undergone surgery at Boulder Community Hospital and is doing well. CU-Boulder Chancellor G.P. 聯Bud聰 Peterson has been in communication with Mr. Knorps聮 family since late this morning.
聲 The alleged assailant, Kenton Astin, 39, was a temporary employee at the University of Colorado at Boulder from Oct. 10, 2006 through April 10, 2007. He was a cashier at the University Memorial Center聮s Alferd Packer Grill. He had an incident-free work record while at the UMC, and left after his temporary six-month employment contract expired;
聲 Astin was charged in 2001 with larceny, 2nd Degree Assault and Criminal Intent to Commit 1st degree homicide, all charges stemming from a single incident. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
聲 Mr. Astin was released from the state mental hospital in Pueblo and has been under supervision of the Boulder County Mental Health Center. He has worked with the Chinook Clubhouse, a support-network program of the Boulder County Mental Health Center, for approximately two years under the close supervision of mental health physicians and professionals, and was referred to the university for employment by that organization;
聲 CU-Boulder has had a 17-year relationship with Chinook Clubhouse in engaging these referrals. This is the first incident of this type that the university is aware of;
聲 Effective today, CU-Boulder Chancellor G.P. 聯Bud聰 Peterson has ordered the following actions:
o The university will begin immediately conducting criminal background checks on all new employees, permanent and temporary;
o The university will review the status of background checks on existing employees;
o The university will engage a comprehensive review of all referred employment relationships, and has suspended all referred employment relationships with Chinook and all similar agencies;
o CU has placed all CU Chinook-referred temporary employees on paid administrative leave pending background checks;
o The university has made counseling services available to eyewitnesses and all those in the campus community who require it.