Australian National University stabbing, Alex Ophel: Ex-student arrested over stabbing rampage is same man who was accused of trying to kill five of his classmates with a bat six years ago

An ex-student arrested over a stabbing rampage at the Australian National University was accused of trying to kill his classmates at the same university six years ago. 

Alex Ophel, 24, has been taken into custody after two female students were stabbed at ANU in Canberra on Monday afternoon. 

The two women, both aged 20, were taken to hospital after emergency services arrived at the scene. One is in a critical condition and the other is in a stable condition. 

A man, 34, was also assaulted and sustained minor injuries. He was not taken to hospital. 

Mr Ophel has not been charged over the incident.

It’s been revealed that Mr Ophel had previously attacked his tutor and four of his classmates with a baseball bat when he was a student at the university in 2017.

Alex Ophel (pictured), 24, has been taken into custody following a stabbing rampage at the Australian National University in Canberra

Two female students were stabbed and a man was assaulted at the university on Monday afternoon (pictured, police at the crime scene)

The former student, who suffers with schizophrenia, had pulled the bat out of a duffel bag and began swinging it at people in his statistics class.

He knocked out the tutor, broke one student’s arms and injured several others. 

One witness described Mr Ophel’s attack as using ‘maximum force’ before he had been stopped.

Mr Ophel was charged with five counts of attempted murder following the wild rampage. 

But he was found not guilty by a jury because of his mental impairment in 2019.

It’s understood his schizophrenia was only diagnosed in the months following the incident. 

The motivation behind the latest attack at the university is not yet known. 

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Mr Ophel, who suffers with schizophrenia, attacked his tutor and classmates with a baseball bat when he was a student at the university in 2017

The wild rampage left his tutor unconscious, one classmate with a broken arm and several others with head and other injuries (students are pictured being treated by paramedics)

ACT Policing and ACT Ambulance Service had been called to the scene at 2:45pm following reports of a stabbing.

ANU sent out an email informing staff and students about the incident this afternoon. 

‘An individual is in police custody and there is no threat to the community,’ the email read.

The university had also warned students to ‘stay away’ from Fellows Oval, which is near the Chifley Library.

‘There has been an incident on campus. Police are at the scene and have the situation under control, with an individual in custody,’ the university tweeted. 

Students received a message via the university’s security app at the time of the attack.

‘Police are at the scene and an individual is in custody,’ the alert said.

‘Please stay away from Fellows Oval…there is no threat to the community.’

The two female students who were stabbed in the latest attack at the university were rushed to hospital. One is in a critical condition and the other is in a stable condition

ACT Policing and ACT Ambulance Service had been called to the scene following reports of a stabbing

The people involved were reportedly in different areas of the university at the time. 

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt later sent an email to staff and students where he thanked emergency services and campus security. 

‘I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the swift and efficient response from ACT Policing, ACT Ambulance Service and our own ANU Security team,’ he said.

Support services have been listed on the university’s website for staff and students following the incident.

Witnesses are urged to visit the City Police Station or call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.