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The disgraced sports doctor convicted of sexually assaulting young Olympic gymnasts under his care was stabbed multiple times Sunday in the Florida prison where he is serving his sentence.
Larry Nassar was stabbed “twice in the neck, twice in the back, and six times in the chest,” Joe Rojas, president of Local 506 — which represents employees at the Federal Correctional Complex Coleman — confirmed to NBC News.
The 59-year-old also suffered a collapsed lung. However, he is in stable condition as of Monday, officials say.
It remains unclear as to the identity of the inmate behind the stabbing.
The federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed an inmate was assaulted at Coleman at 2:35 p.m. Sunday. Prison staff provided life-saving care before Nassar was rushed to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
“No staff or other inmates were injured and, at no time was the public in danger. An internal investigation is ongoing,” officials said, adding that the FBI was also notified.
The Associated Press reports that the prison has been experiencing a staffing shortage. Both officers assigned to Nassar’s unit reportedly have been working mandated overtime shifts in response to the lack of jail guards.
One of the officers was on their third straight shift, working a 16-hour day. Meanwhile, the other officer was allegedly on their second straight shift, the outlet reports.
As previously reported, Nassar was previously attacked behind bars shortly after being placed in the general population in 2018. He is serving time for convictions in both state and federal courts.
Back in 2018, Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for sexually assaulting multiple female gymnasts, which also included well-known Olympic gold medalists.
At least 40 girls and women claim they were molested over 14 months. Meanwhile, the victims claimed the FBI knew about the sexual abuse allegations involving Nassar at the time of the crimes.
The FBI has since admitted its conduct was “inexcusable and a discredit” to the agency as a whole.
His victims included high-profile gymnasts such as Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, and Simone Biles, amongst others.
The sports doctor also separately pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
Meanwhile, the Michigan Supreme Court rejected a final appeal from Nassar last June, according to NBC News.
“I just signed your death warrant,” Ingham County Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said at the time of Nassar’s sentencing, per the AP.
In May 2018, Michigan State agreed to pay $500 million to more than 300 women and girls he assaulted, the Associated Press reported at the time. In 2021, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee also settled with victims for $380 million, per the outlet.
