PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WHAM) — A New York college student is facing charges after he allegedly tried to stab a staff member at the university Wednesday, prompting a campus lockdown.

According to a felony complaint, Shalom Mathews, 19, walked into an office at the Wegmans School of Pharmacy at St. John Fisher University around 5:25 p.m. seeking guidance from a school employee and appeared to be in distress.

Mathews allegedly told the victim that he lived off campus and couldn't go home out of fear his father would kill him for his failing grades.

The staff member became aware that there were some emotional disturbance issues with this individual," said Chief Deputy Michael Fowler with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. "The conversation became concerning to her, and she felt unsafe at the moment."

The victim said she offered Mathews mental health support, but he declined, stood up from his chair, pulled a knife from his coat pocket and tried to stab her. She said she was able to fight him off and gain control of the knife before forcing him out.

Mathews also allegedly attempted to make sexual contact with the victim.

Police arrested Mathews around 12:30 a.m. Thursday at an address in Henrietta.

Mathews is charged with attempted kidnapping and attempted sex abuse. Police have released limited details on the nature of these charges.

He was arraigned Thursday morning and is being held on $30,000 cash bail, $75,000 bond or $200,000 partially secured bond. A stay away order of protection was also issued for the victim.

Police said no one was hurt andthere was no danger to students or other staff during the lockdown.

We fully recognize the potential severity of this incident and what it must have felt like to be a parent, be at home and get this alert message on your phone. It's terrible," Fowler said. "It's terrible that we have to live in a society like that and we have to face these fears. Last night, that almost came to fruition."

Deputies praised the staff member for her brave actions.

What an amazing, strong woman," Fowler said. "She did exactly what she had to do and reacted on her basic instinct. Her desire to preserve her life is what drove her actions, and thank goodness it did. We don't know how it would have ended up otherwise, but we can all imagine."

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