Dylan Quick — who is accused of stabbing at least 14 people in the horrific spree at Lone Star College Cy-Fair — has been placed on suicide watch inside a Harris County jail, according to the 20-year-old student's newly-appointed lawyer.
While Quick was scheduled to appear in court Thursday for a probable cause reading, his attorney Jules Laird suggested against it, telling reporters outside the courtroom that he and his legal team were hoping to avoid a "media circus" while his client continues to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Attorney Jules Laird reported having a "pleasant" conversation with his client, while adding the Quick was "saying things that need to be evaluated."
"Let me just say this right off the bat — his family loves him dearly," Laird said. "They want all of the people injured and their families to know that they are sending their heartfelt wishes to them and hope they have a speedy recovery."
The attorney said he talked to Quick for the first time Thursday morning, during which the two had a conversation Laird called "pleasant" while adding that his client was "saying things that need to be evaluated."
KHOU Ch. 11 reported Wednesday that Quick's mental stability had been questioned in recent years, particularly after he vanished from his parent's home in January 2011 when he was 18 years old. He quit his job at the Memorial City Mall, left behind his identification and left his parents the $8,200 in his bank account.
Fearing he was planning to harm himself, the young man's mother contacted the nonprofit search-and-rescue group Texas EquuSearch to assist in locating her son, who suffers from a severe hearing impairment.
Quick's mental stability had been questioned in recent years, particularly after he vanished from his parent's home in January 2011.
But the following day, the search was canceled after Quick surfaced on the campus of Lone Star College Cy-Fair, where he was a regular library volunteer and where he eventually would attack more than a dozen people with a utility knife.
On Thursday, Quick's attorney told reporters it would be his responsibility "to find out very tough answers to tough questions" before his client returns to court on May 10.
"I've been handling mental issues since I was a baby lawyer 37 years ago," Laird said. "Not every question has an answer that satisfies you."
With three counts of aggravated assault, Quick could face anywhere from two to 20 years behind bars for Tuesday's attacks.
Dylan Quick is accused of stabbing at least 14 people at Lone Star College Cy-Fair on Tuesday.
