The man accused of stabbing his girlfriend’s ex-husband at a children’s gymnastic meet in Glastonbury appeared in court Monday.
Marcus McDaniel, 52, of Hartford was held on $1 million bond after being arraigned in Manchester Superior Court on charges including attempted murder, assault and risk of injury to a minor.
The scene played out Sunday around 11:30 a.m. in the middle of a regional gymnastics meet at The Academy in Glastonbury.
According to an arrest warrant, McDaniel arrived at the event that morning with his girlfriend and her adult daughter. Minutes later, the warrant states that he’s seen on surveillance video “fidgeting in his sweatshirt pockets” while standing near the entrance to the gymnasium.
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Then, McDaniel and the victim, an adult male from Meriden, exchange words in a crowded doorway and the victim is seen walking past McDaniel, but then he follows him. The warrant said that McDaniel is then seen pulling out a knife from his sweatshirt pocket and stabbing the victim multiple times.
“The fact that someone would pack a knife and try to settle a score at a girls’ gymnastics meet, right outside the door with the police station right there…it makes no sense to me,” said Steven Melocowsky who lives nearby and saw the scene Sunday.
Police said the victim was injured in the head and chest, and suffered a puncture wound to his heart. He’s currently in critical condition at Hartford Hospital.
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The warrant also states that children and their families were in the hallway and witnessed the assault, along with McDaniel’s girlfriend and her adult daughter. McDaniel’s girlfriend and the victim share a daughter who was participating in the meet, his attorney confirmed.
“He’s been threatened by this alleged victim for a significant amount of time, because he ended up in a relationship with his ex-wife,” McDaniel’s attorney said. “My client indicated that he made a threatening remark to take his life.”
In court, the attorney said the victim threatened McDaniel, and read text messages to the judge.
“’I would like to speak to you, man to man, father to father,” the attorney said, reading the alleged texts. “Grandpa, please. I’m going to make an example out of you. That AARP is going to be coming real soon.”
The judge said the attack appeared to have been premeditated, as McDaniel prepared the knife in his sweatshirt beforehand. She set his bond at $1 million, and said if he bonds out, he’s to be on a 24/7 GPS lockdown and have no contact with the victim.
The CT and RI Alliance of YMCAs said in a statement, “We were deeply saddened and disturbed by an alleged domestic assault between adults that took place at the entrance of the venue during a regional gymnastics meet. No children were harmed, and we are grateful for the quick response of Academy Building in Glastonbury and YMCA staff, which ensured all the children were kept safe and isolated following the incident and out of an abundance of caution, canceled the remainder of the event to further ensure everyone's safety.”
NBC Connecticut has asked Glastonbury police to release the surveillance video, but they have not shared it.
