Insta-Nabbed: Lone Star State College Student Helps Foil Stabbing, Becomes Social Media Hero

Lone Star freshman Steve Maida's help subduing the alleged attacker — and his Instagram pics from the scene — have made him a star of the Internet.

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Image: Dylan Quick
Harris County Sheriff's Office / AP

Dylan Quick

When news broke of an apparent stabbing attack at Lone Star State College in Texas, most probably expected it would be the suspect who got all the attention. But in this case, it’s actually a fellow student who tackled him, Rosey Grier-style, whose actions — and an Instagram photo that he took —  have gone viral.

Detectives say Dylan Andrew Quick, 20, pulled a sharp “razor-like” object form his backpack and started slashing people at the campus in Cypress, Tex., a suburb of Houston.  At least 14 people were hurt and taken to a hospital with wounds to the head and throat. All of the victims are expected to survive. But amid the attack, a group of students confronted and subdued Quick and waited for police to arrive. And, this being 2013, one student couldn’t let the incident pass without posting a photo of the incident on Instagram.

With Quick securely on his stomach and in handcuffs after being apprehended by police, Lone Star freshman Steve Maida, 21, snapped a photo of the assailant and then posted it to his Instagram account, peppered with colorful language.  “As soon as he knew he was caught [he said], ‘I give up. I give up,’ ” Maida told NBC’s Today show. “I just sat on top of him and was like, ‘Why? Why did you do this?’ “

After being taken into custody, Quick was charged with three counts of aggravated assault; bond has been set at $100,000. Police say he has been planning the attack for quite a while and even told Harris County Sheriffs that he has had a fantasy about fatally stabbing people since he was a child.

Maida’s actions, along with those of three other students, has made them instant heroes — Maida especially thanks to the Instagram photo, which has gained more than 7,300 “likes.” From there his story moved to his Facebook page and Twitter and Instagram accounts, where he continues to talk about the incident and even posted photo of himself in what looks like a squad car.

There’s even a Facebook page calling for Maida to be given free tuition for his part in capturing Quick. However, no official statements have come from Harris County Sheriffs commending or acknowledging that Maida had anything to do with Quick’s apprehension.

Either way, Maida said he does not consider himself a hero for his actions. “It’s kind of over the top as far as a hero. Maybe just an open-hearted person. I like to care for people,” he said in an interview on KRLD.