Suspect apprehended after US stabbing spree
Seattle police arrested a man suspected of carrying out a string of stabbings that injured five people downtown on Friday, possibly linking him to five additional stabbings in the city’s Chinatown area since Thursday morning, according to law enforcement.
Deputy Chief Eric Barden reported that the suspect appeared to select victims at random, noting that only one individual was robbed of a cell phone.
In each incident, the attacker targeted a single person, with nine out of the ten victims identified as male. Injuries varied from minor cuts to severe wounds, with four of Friday’s victims requiring hospital treatment.
“This is a horrific tragedy, a mass casualty event,” Barden stated at the scene.
Upon arrest, officers found a weapon near the suspect, and one of the victims still had a knife in their body when discovered. Several victims visually identified the suspect following his apprehension, adding to the evidence against him.
Random stabbing attacks are relatively rare in the United States, where mass shootings are more commonly reported incidents of mass violence. The Seattle stabbings have alarmed residents and heightened security concerns in the city.
