A man has been arrested in connection with a series of random stabbings over two days in Seattle that injured a woman and eight men, including five on Friday afternoon, police said.
“This incident was apparently a random attack by one individual within a 38-hour period,” Deputy Chief Eric Baden said at the scene Friday.
The stabbing Friday afternoon occurred in an area of ​​about four blocks in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District.
Witnesses reported a description of the suspect, and officers found him nearby and took him into custody, police said. Police said a weapon was found near the arrestees and one of the victims had a knife lodged in his body.
Lindsay Watson/AP
Four of the victims, all male, were taken to Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, and one victim was treated at the scene and released. Two of the victims were in critical condition and the other was in serious condition, a hospital spokesperson told CBS News late Friday.
Baden said police suspect the person arrested in connection with Friday’s stabbing is connected to at least four other stabbings that occurred earlier Thursday. He cited similar suspect descriptions and the random nature of the attack, but added that the investigation was ongoing.
Police said Thursday’s stabbing incident in Chinatown began when a 52-year-old woman suffered multiple stab wounds. A 32-year-old man was found stabbed multiple times on Thursday afternoon, and a 37-year-old man was stabbed multiple times in the back around 8 p.m., police said.
Earlier on Friday, police responded to reports of an assault and found a 53-year-old man bleeding profusely from a neck injury. Police followed a trail of blood to a nearby door but were unsuccessful in using it as a starting point for police dogs to try to track the suspect.
“As far as I know, everyone is still alive,” Baden said of the victims Friday afternoon.
Police said the 10th stabbing incident on Thursday night involved a cellphone robbery in which someone forced open a car door and attempted to stab a 60-year-old man in the chest. Police said the victim stopped the attack and suffered cuts on his hand. Police said it was unclear whether this was related to a random attack.
