The hole was carved out of a shower wall in the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta
A Georgia inmate will face additional criminal charges. The man dug a tunnel through a wall in a jail facility in Fulton County, Georgia, to harm a man in a neighbouring cell, ABC News reported.
On May 17, Kavian Thomas allegedly carved out a hole in a wall in a shower stall, which gave him access to an adjacent cell block, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office said in a news release on Thursday.
After Thomas successfully entered Russell's cell, he stabbed him multiple times. Russell sustained "superficial stab wounds to his upper body". He is being treated in the medical unit of the jail for his injuries, officials told ABC News.
"It presents a constant challenge for us to eliminate things like this from access to the inmates," interim Fulton County Jail Commander Curtis Clark told Fox5 Atlanta. "This jail has clearly outlived its useful life. That reality makes it even more challenging for us to do our job of providing the safest possible environment, not only for staff but for the inmates as well."
Post the incident, the officers checked both cells and discovered several weapons in both cells, some made "from parts of the dilapidated building infrastructure" according to the release.
The motive for the stabbing was not immediately clear.
The man was previously charged with theft of stolen property, possession /transport of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of marijuana, according to court records.