Seattle police arrested a man on Nov. 8 in connection with a series of stabbings in the Chinatown-International District that left five people injured Friday afternoon.
A total of 10 people—nine men and one woman—were wounded over a 38-hour period in what police said appeared to be random attacks.
“It’s certainly plausible that the suspect involved in today’s stabbing is the same suspect involved with the previous five incidents,” Seattle Police Deputy Chief Eric Barden said at the scene on Nov. 8.
He noted that the investigation is ongoing. More information will be released as soon as it becomes available.
Barden described the incidents as “a horrific tragedy,” adding it is being investigated as “a mass casualty event.”
“The injuries to those victims ranged from a minor cut to severe stab wounds,” Barden said, noting it is his understanding that “everybody is alive at this time.”
The suspect was arrested without incident in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District after police responded to a call at about 2 p.m. on Nov. 8 involving five victims. Four of those victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) for treatment of serious stab wounds, while one victim was treated at the scene and released, the SPD said.
Barden also pointed out that witnesses visually identified the suspect after his arrest.
Additionally, responding officers located a weapon near the person who was arrested, and a knife was also found in the body of one of the victims, police said.
More Details of Stabbing Spree
Police said the investigation started when a 52-year-old woman was located in downtown Seattle at 1:35 a.m. on Nov. 7 with multiple stab wounds. She was transported to HMC in serious condition.At 12:19 p.m. later that day, a 32-year-old man was found after being stabbed multiple times. He was also transported to HMC in serious condition.
The victim described the suspect as a black male wearing a checkered hoody, police said. Officers attempted to conduct a K9 search, but it was canceled due to heavy foot traffic and an insufficient starting point.
Later that evening at about 8 p.m., a 37-year-old man was stabbed multiple times in the back, police said. He was also transported to HMC in serious condition.
About half an hour later at 8:39 p.m., police responded to another assault call and located a 60-year-old victim in his vehicle with a laceration to his hand. Police determined that the victim was involved in a cellphone robbery.
The suspect “forcibly opened the driver’s side door and attempted to stab him in the chest,” police said. The victim managed to block the attack but sustained a cut to his hand.
“The suspect fled eastbound on foot. His description was similar to the previously reported stabbings,” police said.
Authorities launched a manhunt involving a helicopter and K9 units, but the suspect was not found.
Then early on Nov. 8 at about 1 a.m., police responding to an assault call found a 53-year-old man “bleeding heavily from a neck injury.” The victim was transported to HMC in serious condition.
Officers followed a blood trail to a nearby doorway and used that as a starting point for K9 dogs to try and track a suspect. However, officers failed to apprehend the suspect.
After five more people were stabbed, police arrested the suspect on Friday afternoon.
The SPD said detectives with the Homicide and Assault Unit are now working to identify the suspect, who has only been described as a 30- to 40-year-old male.
