9-year-old boy among 2 stabbed in unprovoked attack by homeless man at Los Angeles Target

Two people were stabbed at a Target in Los Angeles after a homeless man entered the store, picked up knives from the kitchen section, and started slashing people. One of the victims was a 9-year-old boy. 

The stabbing incident took place at the FIGat7th shopping mall near Figueroa and 7th Streets at around 6:20 p.m., police said. 

The unprovoked attack began when the suspect, who was “dressed in homeless attire,” approached the boy and told him he was going to “stab him and kill him,” Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said. 

As the child tried to flee, the suspect stabbed the 9-year-old in the back left shoulder with a butcher-style knife. He then moved on to his next victim, a 25-year-old Asian woman, who he stabbed in the chest. 

Good samaritans helped both victims after the attack. 

A Target security guard confronted the subject in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. He eventually fired his weapon twice as the man charged toward him, hitting the suspect in the stomach. The victim was pronounced dead.

The 9-year-old boy was transported to the hospital. He is in stable but critical condition due to potential neurological damage caused by the stabbing. 

The woman is in serious condition and is currently in surgery. 

“The fact that you have an unprovoked attack on a child strikes all of us,” Moore said. “This isn’t something that’s acceptable in Los Angeles and by no means is anywhere near the norm.”

The incident is still under investigation.