[8] Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke stated that the weapon used in the attack was a hunting knife between 8 and 10 inches in length.

[9][10] The planned attack (see below) was thwarted by a student, Tyler Patton, and construction worker, Byron Price, who was working in a nearby hallway.

[10][26] He intended to spread the petroleum jelly on the floor to make responding police slip and fall while he stole their guns.

[27] Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke initially said that although the manifesto made several references to Allah, the attack had nothing to do with religion or terrorism, and Mohammad was motivated by anger over being excluded from the study group.

[30] A law enforcement official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to the Merced Sun-Star newspaper, stated that the style of clothing worn by the attacker, along with websites he had visited and a printout of an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) flag found among his possessions, all contributed to the decision to hand control of the investigation to federal authorities.

[30][19] The FBI categorically denies it was aware of any "derogatory information" about Mohammad or that he had been the subject of any federal investigation prior to the stabbing.

[31] On December 11, Mohammad's roommate described him to federal investigators as "a loner and an extreme Muslim", also stating that he was not surprised by the incident.