Racist Woman Allegedly Stabs Indiana Teen On The Head For Being Asian

A 56-year-old woman allegedly stabbed an 18-year-old Indiana University student on a public bus in Bloomington, Indiana, Wednesday for being Asian.

Billie R. Davis allegedly tried to kill the teenage girl, who was not named, by repeatedly striking her in the head, the Bloomington Police Department said in a press release.

Officers said they found the victim bleeding from the head and immediately called for an ambulance.

"The victim reported to investigators that she had been riding the Bloomington Transit bus and had stood up to exit the bus on 4th Street at the B-Line Trail," officers wrote. "She said that as she was standing and waiting for the bus doors to open, another passenger on the bus began to strike her repeatedly in the head, which resulted in immediate pain. The suspect also exited the bus and began to walk towards Kirkwood Avenue."

"The assault reportedly occurred when the bus stopped at the intersection of W 4th Street and the B-Line Trail," police wrote. "A witness that had been on the bus at the time the assault occurred followed the suspect on foot and provided responding officers with updated locations of the suspect until officers arrived in the area and detained the woman."

Investigators managed to access camera footage from inside the bus that captured the assault.

They said surveillance footage showed Davis pulling a folding knife from her own pocket and stabbing the victim seven times, WXIN reported. She then put the knife back in her pocket and returned to her seat, according to police.

"The footage showed that the suspect and victim had no interactions prior to the suspect stabbing the victim multiple times in the head as the victim waited for the bus doors to open," police said in the press release.

Investigators spoke to the suspect while she was in jail. The alleged motive was racism, according to court documents.

Davis told police she targeted the victim due to her "being Chinese" and said it "would be one less person to blow up our country," WXIN reported.

Davis was transported to the Monroe County Jail. She faces a charge of attempted murder in the first degree and multiple battery counts, Washington Post reported.

A jail staffer told Law&Crime Sunday that Davis is held on a $100,000 surety bond plus $500 cash.

"This week, Bloomington was sadly reminded that anti-Asian hate is real and can have painful impacts on individuals and our community," Indiana University's vice president for diversity, equity and multicultural affairs James Wimbush said in a statement. "No one should face harassment or violence due to their background, ethnicity or heritage."

"Instead, the Bloomington and IU communities are stronger because of the vast diversity of identities and perspectives that make up our campus and community culture," he continued. "To our Asian and Asian American friends, colleagues, students, and neighbors, we stand firmly with you. For members of our community who may find support helpful, counseling services are available to all faculty, staff and students."