Mayor John Hamilton on Saturday condemned an apparently racist attack earlier this week near Bloomington’s B-Line trail.
In a statement, Hamilton said that people in Bloomington “deplore any form of racism and discrimination, especially hate based violence.”
“This behavior is not acceptable and will be dealt with accordingly,” he said.
Read more: Bloomington woman charged with stabbing 18-year-old
Police arrested a 56-year-old woman and charged her with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing an 18-year-old as she exited a city bus Wednesday.
The woman, Billie Davis, told investigators she stabbed the victim because she appeared “Chinese,” according to the Monroe County prosecutor.
“Bloomington is a relatively safe place but we are not immune to issues with which our entire nation is dealing,” Hamilton said in the statement.
“This senseless incident is a reminder that we should all look out for each other, be aware of our surroundings and seek to combat racism and prejudice in all its forms wherever and whenever we encounter it,” he said.
Police said Davis and the victim had no interactions prior to the attack.
They initially charged her with battery but updated the charge to attempted murder after reviewing surveillance and the victim’s injuries.
Davis appeared at an initial hearing Friday in Monroe County Circuit Court. It wasn’t immediately clear if she had an attorney. Ethan Sandweiss contributed to this report.