Larry Nassar, a former sports doctor who is currently serving a multiple-decade prison sentence for sexually abusing female gymnasts while working with USA Gymnastics, was stabbed by another inmate in an altercation at a federal prison in Florida on Monday. According to the Associated Press, the prisoner that was suspected of stabbing Nassar has revealed that the former doctor made a lewd comment while the two were watching a Wimbledon tennis match on television.
The inmate, who has been identified as Shane McMillan, later stabbed Nassar with a makeshift weapon in his cell at the United States Penitentiary Coleman. McMillan allegedly stabbed Nassar multiple times in the back, chest, and neck before other inmates pulled McMillan off of Nassar.
The AP also reported that McMillan, 49, was convicted of assaulting a correctional officer at a federal prison in Louisiana back in 2006, as well as attempting to stab another inmate at a federal Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado in 2011, according to court records.
Following the altercation, correctional officers at the facility made their way to Nassar's cell and performed life-saving measures on the 59-year old. Nassar was taken to the hospital, where he's currently in stable condition with multiple injuries, including a collapsed lung.
Cell doors are normally open during the day, so that inmates can move around the facility. Due to Nassar being attacked in his cell, it wasn't picked up on any surveillance cameras.
McMillan reportedly told prison employees that he attacked Nassar after the former doctor made a comment about wanting to see girls play in the Wimbledon match.
After the attack took place on Monday, the prison had a notice that reads "all visiting at this facility has been suspended until further notice" in a banner on their official website. That banner still remains atop the prison's website.
Nassar, 59, admitted that he sexually assaulted gymnasts when he worked at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, which trains female Olympians. In addition, Nassar also pled guilty to having child pornography in his possession. During Nassar's trial in 2018, several United States gymnasts testified that they were abused by Nassar.
Over 100 women, including Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, ended up seeking over $1 billion from the federal government following the FBI's failure to stop Nassar when they first learned of the allegations against him in 2015. Nassar was arrested by Michigan State University police in 2016, which was more than a full year after the FBI became aware of the allegations.
Michigan State agreed to pay $500 million to more than 300 athletes that were sexually abused by Nassar over the course of two decades. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee eventually agreed to a $380 million settlement.
