A prisoner who is suspected of the stabbing of Larry Nassar is revealing why he attacked the disgraced former sports doctor who was convicted of sexually abusing female gymnasts.
In a new report by the Associated Press, the inmate, identified as Shane McMillan, previously made headlines for assaulting a correctional officer at a federal penitentiary in Louisiana in 2006 and attempting to stab another inmate to death at the federal Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado in 2011, court records show. As we previously reported, Nassar was attacked in his cell on Sunday and stabbed multiple times in his neck, chest and back.
When authorities spoke with the inmate, McMillan he explained that he attacked Nassar after the ex-doctor made a comment about wanting to see girls playing in the Wimbledon women’s match.
In a statement Wednesday, the agency said it was “imperative that we increase our staffing levels” and said it was recruiting officers and using financial incentives to try to retain workers. Officials said they are also still working to “tackle the problem violence in our facilities” and have enhanced their security procedures, but would not provide details.
“The BOP takes seriously our duty to protect the individuals entrusted in our custody, as well as maintain the safety of correctional staff and the community,” agency spokesperson Scott Taylor said.
“We make every effort to ensure the physical safety of individuals confined to our facilities through a controlled environment that is secure and humane,” Taylor said. “As we continue to pivot out of a years-long pandemic, there are still challenges to confront and opportunities to improve our agency, protect the lives of those who work for us, and ensure the wellbeing of those entrusted to our custody.”
Nassar was first accused of sexual assault in 2016 when former gymnast Rachael Denhollander filed a complaint against him. Over the course of several months, more than 300 survivors came forward with similar allegations, including prominent gymnasts such as Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, and McKayla Maroney.
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In 2017, Nassar pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges, possessing thousands of images and videos of child pornography on his computer. He was subsequently sentenced to 60 years in federal prison.
In 2018, Nassar faced a separate trial for sexually abusing young athletes under the guise of medical treatment. During the trial, over 150 survivors gave powerful impact statements detailing the abuse they endured. Nassar was ultimately sentenced to 40 to 175 years in state prison for his crimes.
The case brought significant attention to the issue of sexual abuse in sports and led to calls for greater accountability and prevention measures within gymnastics and other athletic organizations. It also highlighted the importance of supporting survivors and providing them with a safe environment to speak out against their abusers.