TAMPA, Fla. — Parents of children who attend a Hillsborough County elementary school are breathing a sigh of relief after authorities stopped a man they said was planning a campus stabbing.
- Andrew Ivan Aman, 22, being held under Baker Act at hospital
- Allegedly planned to enter school, target teachers, students
- Previously arrested in May 2018 on aggravated assault charge
- More Hillsborough County stories
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Andrew Ivan Aman, 22, was planning to enter Francis Bellamy Elementary School and stab students and staffers. He allegedly told his roommate about his plans around 9 a.m. Tuesday.
“It's crazy,” said Debbie Wells, a grandmother of a Francis Bellamy student as she wiped away tears. “You want your kids to feel safe, but you just don't know.”
Aman targeted Francis Bellamy because the school's red, white, and blue colors reminded him of the American flag, and he was against patriotism, authorities said.
“I really didn't know the whole story until one of other parents, when I brought him this morning, was telling me more details than I knew when I brought him,” Wells said.
Aman, who has been diagnosed with mental health issues in the past, is being held under the Baker Act at a hospital. Investigators found no weapons at his home.
Aman was arrested in May 2018 on an aggravated assault charge.