2001 Red Lion machete attack

Mass stabbing in Pennsylvania, United States December 2025 November 2023 North Hopewell-Winterstown Elementary SchoolRed Lion, Pennsylvania, U.S. 2001 02 02 11:30 a.m. 39.84 N 76.62 W 11:48 a.m. EST Elementary school students and staff Machete 0 14 William Michael Stankewicz Anger against ex-wife for divorce and molestation accusations On February 2, 2001, a machete attack took place at North Hopewell-Winterstown Elementary School in Red Lion, Pennsylvania. The perpetrator, 55-year-old William Michael Stankewicz, slashed several students and school faculty, injuring 11 kindergarteners, two teachers, and the principal. Stankewicz was convicted and received a minimum of 132 years. Attack On February 2, 2001, Michael Stankewicz drove from Tennessee to York County, Pennsylvania. He was armed with a 2-foot-long machete,Maenza Anthony Man who attacked Red Lion kindergartners in 2001 dies in prison https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/crime/2023/11/28/man-who-attacked-red-lion-kindergartners-in-2001-dies-in-prison/71726553007/ 2025-01-18 York Dispatch en-US hiding the weapon in his pantleg. Stankewicz stated that he made two stops during the trip to sharpen the machete.Crews Gordon A. 2017 School Killers Speak: A Comprehensive Examination of Traditional School Violence Perpetrators in K-12 American Schools https://scispace.com/pdf/school-killers-speak-a-comprehensive-examination-of-3guvd8w6hg.pdf Initial reports incorrectly stated that Stankewicz also carried a baseball bat,February 2, 2001 Man wielding bat, machete goes on school rampage https://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/02/02/machete.attack.02/ CNN based on comments by the school staff that had mistaken the machete for a bat.24 January 2013 Beaver County Times - Google News Archive Search https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=20011105&id=kXYvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WdsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1451%2C1461664 dead https://archive.today/20130124182904/http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=20011105&id=kXYvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WdsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1451%2C1461664 24 January 2013 According to Stankewicz, he had previously tried to purchase a gun the same day, but failed a background check.Red Lion Area elementary school principal to machete attacker: 'I have forgiven you'; York Daily Record (January 31, 2011) https://web.archive.org/web/20110204201241/http://www.ydr.com/ci_17237466 February 4, 2011 At around midday, Stankewicz entered North Hopewell-Winterstown Elementary School, bypassing the keycard entry security system by following a parent who was remotely buzzed in by a school nurse. Stankewicz was peering into a kindergarten classroom when he was confronted outside the administrative offices by the nurse and the principal. Principal Norina Bentzel variously stated that she either asked if Stankewicz was looking for someone, or that she had immediately attempted to stop him from getting closer to the class, at which point Stankewicz took out the machete and slashed Bentzel across the chest.Shannon Anne 2024-02-01 School principal shares her story 23 years after being attacked by man with machete https://www.wgal.com/article/york-county-school-principal-shares-her-story-23-years-after-being-attacked-by-man-with-machete/46612651 WGAL en He then entered the kindergarten class and attacked the teacher and students inside. Further attacks continue in the school's halls, the nurse's office and the principal's office. The first 911 calls came in at 11:32 a.m. Principal Bentzel stopped the attack by jumping on Stankewicz and pinning him down.Image Viewer http://www.ydr.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=3556772 dead https://archive.today/20130209210810/http://www.ydr.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=3556772 9 February 2013 3 February 2022 www.ydr.com The attack lasted around 25 minutes and Stankewicz was arrested shortly before 11:48 a.m. Victims The majority of the injured children had minor injuries and were treated at area hospitals.2001-02-02 Machete Attack On School - CBS News https://www.cbsnews.com/news/machete-attack-on-school/ CBS News en-US One child had her arm broken, while another had her ponytail cut off. All three of the adult victims were female 2001-02-03 9 Injured in Machete Attack at School https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-feb-03-mn-20681-story.html Los Angeles Times en-US and brought to Memorial Hospital in York, Pennsylvania, where a teacher and the principal required surgery for arm and hand injuries.Loviglio Joann February 4, 2001 'Hero' principal faces long recovery after machete attack https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/2001/02/04/hero-principal-faces-long/51078664007/ Pocono Record en-US Their conditions were not life-threatening.Man allegedly wielded machete in school https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Man-allegedly-wielded-machete-in-school-11711765.phpMcClure Jim Amish kindness after Nickel Mines influenced York County principal to offer forgiveness to machete-wielding assailant https://www.ydr.com/story/news/history/blogs/york-town-square/2011/02/02/machete-winterstown/31558907/ York Daily Record en-US Perpetrator William Michael Stankewicz, known as Mike Stankewicz, was a former resident of York County and employed as a history teacher in Baltimore.February 9, 2001 Suspect in school attack obsessed with 4th ex-wife https://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/suspect-in-school-attack-obsessed-with-4th-ex-wife-1993346.php ChronFebruary 3, 2001 Man allegedly wielded machete in school https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Man-allegedly-wielded-machete-in-school-11711765.php New Haven Register Stankewicz said he attacked the victims because he was angry about the failure of his marriage six years earlier. His fourth wife, Larisa Prokuda Montgomery, a Russian-born mail-order bride from Kazakhstan,2001-02-12 Man says machete attack was attempt 'to be poetic' https://azdailysun.com/man-says-machete-attack-was-attempt-to-be-poetic/article_6771f9d3-1c0f-5a37-b31e-c75646afe356.html 2025-01-18 Arizona Daily Sun en February 3, 2003 Machete-wielding man accused of attack at school https://www.newson6.com/story/5e3683892f69d76f620986b5/machetewielding-man-accused-of-attack-at-school NewsOn6 en had divorced him, remarried, and alleged that he had molested his stepdaughters when they were around nine and thirteen years old. 2001-02-05 Ex-wife says she feared man accused in Pa. school attack https://www.baltimoresun.com/2001/02/05/ex-wife-says-she-feared-man-accused-in-pa-school-attack/ Baltimore Sun en-USCadiz Laura February 5, 2001 Ex-wife says she feared man accused in Pa. school attack https://www.baltimoresun.com/2001/02/05/ex-wife-says-she-feared-man-accused-in-pa-school-attack/ June 30, 2023 The Baltimore Sun 2001-02-04 Marital troubles of suspect recalled - tribunedigital-baltimoresun https://www.baltimoresun.com/2001/02/04/marital-troubles-of-suspect-recalled/ 2016-01-13 Articles.baltimoresun.com In 1996, after unsuccessfully demanding the deportation of Montgomery and her daughters,November 28, 2023 Man who wounded 14 in Pennsylvania elementary school with machete dies in prison 22 years later https://subscribe.detroitnews.com/restricted The Detroit NewsArgento Mike Norina Bentzel's memoir of machete attack at her school wins international book award https://www.ydr.com/story/news/local/2025/07/15/principals-norina-bentzel-memoir-of-school-machete-attack-wins-international-honor/85196225007/ York Daily Record en-US Stankewicz sent death letter threats to Montgomery, her lawyer, and a member of congress, for which he spent 2 years in federal prison. February 3, 2003 Man with machete injures nine https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/2001/02/03/man-with-machete-injures-nine/48851121/ The Herald-Times en-US He had been living with his mother Josie Pavone in Johnson City, Tennessee, at the time of the attack.Maenza Anthony November 28, 2023 For former elementary school principal, William Stankewicz's death brings a sense of relief https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/crime/2023/11/28/for-former-elementary-school-principal-william-stankewiczs-death-brings-a-sense-of-relief/71729710007/ York Dispatch en-US Both of Stankewicz's former stepdaughters had previously attended North Hopewell-Winterstown, which he targeted after failing to find their new address. Aftermath Stankewicz was charged with 39 offenses, including two counts of attempted homicide, sixteen counts of aggravated assault, and one count of having a weapon on school property. He was held on a $500,000 bond, later increased to $2,000,000. Stankewicz claimed to have no memory of the attack and variously pled guilty or no contest for the individual charges.25 January 2013 Reading Eagle - Google News Archive Search https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=20010926&id=2PghAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rKIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5988%2C6732416 dead https://archive.today/20130125031158/http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=20010926&id=2PghAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rKIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5988%2C6732416 25 January 2013 However, he later agreed with the prosecution's claim that he committed the attack due to resentment towards his ex-wife and her daughters for the divorce and molestation allegations. During the trial, Stankewicz made several contradictory and unrelated statements, at one point calling the attack "his twin towers" and asking for the death penalty, due to which his defense argued that Stankewicz was impaired by mental illness. In November 2001, Stankewicz was sentenced to 132 to 264 years imprisonment, one of the longest prison sentences in York County history.2001-11-06 National Briefing Mid-Atlantic: Pennsylvania: Sentencing In Machete Attack https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/06/us/national-briefing-mid-atlantic-pennsylvania-sentencing-in-machete-attack.html The New York Times en Norina Bentzel stated that in 2006, after the West Nickel Mines School shooting in neighboring Lancaster County, she was inspired to forgive Stankewicz for his actions, as he ultimately didn't kill anyone. At the tenth anniversary of the attack, Bentzel recalled the incident and later violent occurrences at Red Lion Elementary, such as the 2003 killing of principal Eugene "Gene" Segro by a 14-year-old student in a murder-suicide and a 2005 stabbing in a tenth-grade classroom. Bentzel sent a letter extending forgiveness to Stankewicz, who refused to read its contents. In a December 2010 letter from prison, Stankewict declared to have no remorse for his actions, instead blaming his ex-wife and United States immigration officials and congressmen for the attack and declaring himself a "victim". In a 2017 statement, Stankewicz described the stabbing as a "wee bit o’revenge" and denied his previous defense of mental illness, saying that he had acted out of boredom and anger while also "hop[ing] to be remembered in [York] County forever". On November 27, 2023, Stankewicz was found unresponsive in his cell at the State Correctional Institution – Dallas and was subsequently declared dead. He was 78. https://www.ydr.com/story/news/local/2023/11/27/school-machete-attacker-william-stankewicz-has-died-in-prison/71722069007/ Notorious school machete attacker William Stankewicz dies in prison York Daily Record Halpin Jim November 27, 2023 November 27, 2023 In July 2024, Bentzel published a memoir about the machete attack, describing Stankewicz's motives and repeating that she forgave Stankewicz for his actions.Argento Mike July 13, 2024 Retired principal Norina Bentzel publishes memoir about surviving 2001 machete attack https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2024/07/31/norina-bentzel-published-memoir-about-surviving-2001-machete-attack-william-stankewicz-red-lion/74607206007/ York Daily Record en-US The book, Glorious Sadness – Faith-Love-Hope Trumps School Attack, was awarded the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society Educator's Book Award in July 2025. See also Wolverhampton machete attack References Crime Pennsylvania Category:Mass stabbings in the United States Category:School stabbings in the United States Category:Attacks on schools in 2001 Category:Violence against children in the United States Category:2000s crimes in Pennsylvania Category:2001 in Pennsylvania Category:Violence in Pennsylvania Category:History of York County, Pennsylvania Category:February 2001 crimes in the United States