BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The mother of the man accused of stabbing three staffers at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center on Wednesday says her son has suffered from mental illness for most of his life.
Sylvia Haskins said she visited her son, Calvin Haskins, on Thursday at the Erie County Holding Center, where he's being held without bail after being charged with three counts of first-degree assault.
She told 7 News her son, who is 34, told her "he lost it" on Wednesday when he allegedly stabbed three people just after 9 a.m.
"He said 'I was hearing the voices again. They wasn't give me my medication and he said I just lost it'," she said.
WATCH: Man facing assault charges after three staff members were stabbed at Buffalo Psychiatric Center
Now, she's worried about his well-being at the holding center.
She says it's well-documented that he is mentally ill and should be in the psychiatric ward at Erie County Medical Center.
The Erie County Sheriff's Office released the following statement to 7 News:
"The Erie County Sheriff's Office Division of Correctional Health takes the healthcare of our Incarcerated Individuals very seriously. At intake, each Incarcerated Individual receives an initial medical and mental health screening. If necessary, the Incarcerated Individual will be referred to a Forensic Mental Health provider, which can order psychiatric medications."
At the same time, Wayne Spence, the president of the union who represents one of the victims, is demanding the governor make an executive order to put metal detectors into all psychiatric hospitals.
He said there are none at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center.
"We have metal detectors in libraries. We have metal detectors when we go to the DMV. I had to go to a metal detector every time I went to see my members at the hospital. We got metal detectors in schools and we're not gonna have metal detectors [at psychiatric centers]," Spence told 7 News. "And there used to be metal detectors at these places."
The governor's office released the following statement to 7 News:
"Governor Hochul has spoken with the families of the OMH workers impacted by this incident to express her concern for their well-being and her gratitude for their hard work in these critical roles. The Governor has directed her Administration to review State-run mental health facilities to ensure patients and personnel are safe."
Sylvia Haskins said her son has been institutionalized since 2013 when he took an insanity plea in connection to an attempted murder charge for stabbing a man 17 times at a Metro Rail station.
She said her son was initially sent to a psychiatric hospital in Rochester and then later transferred to Buffalo Psychiatric Center at 400 Forest Avenue.
About two years ago, she said his condition had improved enough that he was allowed to come and go from the center while remaining a patient.
But the days before Wednesday's incident, he seemed agitated and unwell.
She said she feels terrible for what happened to the staffers.
"My heart goes out to the three who he stabbed and their families and they are all in my prayers," she said. "But at the end of the day, the system has failed the mentally ill."
Spence said he met with the one staffer who was stabbed, Ed Gordon.
Gordon underwent two surgeries and remained hospitalized at ECMC Friday.
"Lots of tubes. He was in pain. But based on the reports that I heard, I was just grateful that they were talking and I was just glad they were alive," Spence said.
He said Gordon's wife, Monica, is also an employee of the NYS Office of Mental Health and that she's not only taking care of her wounded husband but also just buried her mother on Thursday.
The union has started an online fundraiser to help their family.
Spence also credited the nurses at the facility for helping save the life of one of the other staffers who was stabbed 10 times.
The nurses, who are members of his union are Lynn Thomas, Judith Figler, Jeanine James, Lisa Roosevelt, Michele Brunner (Nurse Practitioner), Chrissy Eaton and Julie Botsford.
The NYS Labor Department told 7 News that it "is conducting an inspection related to the employer’s compliance with the Workplace Violence Prevention Law, and other applicable safety and health standards. The inspection is in the early stages and we do not have a substantive update to share."
