‘I apologize for my actions.’ Machete attacker is sentenced for Transylvania attack.

Mitchell William Adkins, the Cincinnati man charged in the 2017 machete attack on the Transylvania University campus, was sentenced Friday to 7 1/2 years in prison.

Adkins, 21, said, “I apologize for my actions” while standing before Fayette Circuit Judge Kimberly Bunnell in court.

“I’m so glad no one was killed,” Bunnell told Adkins.

Adkins pleaded guilty in November to second-degree assault, misdemeanor assault, four counts of terroristic threatening and three counts of menacing.

One victim of the attack had no comment after the sentencing. Defense attorney Jim Lowry said in court that the prosecution’s plea agreement was “very fair.”

In April 2017, Adkins walked into the coffee shop inside the Glenn Building, asked people their political affiliations, then went on the attack. Adkins had a history of publicly protesting what he considered mistreatment of conservatives on the college campus.

Adkins was armed with a machete and knives, police said at the time. He made verbal threats to students and staff in the building and struck two women.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird said the victims appreciated the finality that the sentencing brought to their ordeal.

“There’s no time enough that will give them back that sense of security and safety that they had,” Baird said.

One victim suffered head injuries and nerve damage to her hands. “Luckily she was not injured more seriously than she was,” Baird said.

Adkins was initially charged with first-degree assault, but that was amended to second-degree assault, which carries a penalty of five to 10 years. The 7 1/2-year sentence he received was midway in the range.

Adkins will be eligible for parole after serving 20 percent of his sentence.

This story was originally published December 14, 2018 at 4:18 PM.