Yet another 'can't believe this happened' story

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chris in va

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Woman Stabs Two At Montgomery Mall

By Lori Aratani and Allan Lengel
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, May 26, 2005; Page B01

A knife-wielding woman stabbed a woman at a Nordstrom's department store last night, then calmly rode an elevator down one flight and attacked another woman, sending dozens of shoppers at a Montgomery County mall screaming and running toward the exits, police and witnesses saied.

The violence, which police said appeared to be random, came to an abrupt halt when an off-duty FBI agent who witnessed the second stabbing pulled out a gun, ordered the woman to drop the knife and arrested her, police said.


Both women were being treated last night for injuries described as not life threatening.

"At this time we believe this was random," said Lt. Eric Burnett, a spokesman for the Montgoery County police. "We have no idea what prompted this assault."

The incident began about 6:55 p .m. at Westfield Shoppingtown Montgomery, formerly known as Montgomery Mall, when a woman believed to be

in her 40s began attacking a 24-year-old shopper in the customer service area on the third floor. The woman was stabbed in the abdomen and upper back, police said, and she also suffered defensive wounds on both arms.

Irina Slutsky was riding up to the third floor when a saleswoman came running tward the escalator and told riders to "go back down! Go back down!"

Slutsky had reached the third floor, where she saw a woman holding what she said appeared to be a kitchen knife in her right hand, which was by her side.

"It as drippng blood, not a lot, but it was driping blood," Slutsky said. "Unless you were paying attenton, you couldn't see the knife."

The attacker "was walking calmly toward the down escalator," shesaid.

The suspect then rode the escalator toward the second floor, behind a woman wearing a pink sweater and black pants, Slutsky said. The suspect stabbed the woman repeatedly.

"She kind of leaned over and startd stabbing this woman in the back," Slutsky said. The second woman, who police said was also in her 20s, "started running dwn on the escalator, trying to get away, and the woman with the knife started running after her," Slutsky said
 
Moments afterward, Adam Karcher, an FBI agent who had been behind the attacker on the escalator, intervened and arrested her. police said. Karcher was not available for comment last night.

Robin Wexler, a Bethesda man who was with his wife Elaine, said he was shopping for sneakers on the second floor, near the escalator, when he heard "people screaming. It sounded like an argument."

"Initially everyone just ran in all different directions screaming," he said.

He said employees directed him and his wife and few other customers into a stockroom. Shortly afterward, they were told to leave the store, he said.

"It's very weird to go out, buy a pair of shoes and all of sudden, allhell breaks loose," Wexler said.

Deniz Anders, a Nordstrom spokeswoman at the company's headquarters in Seattle, said last night the company was preparing to providing psychological help for employees who want it.

"We're extremely concerned about the condition about the two women involved in the incident and all of our employees and customers in the store who witnessed the incident," Anders said. "We are extremely grateful to the FBI agent for taking quick action to apprehend the suspect."

One of the victims was being treated last night at Washington Hospital Center; the other was at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. Police said two other people in the store were treated for breathing problems.

The store did not reopen last night following the violence, although other businesses in the mall, in the 7100 block of Democracy Boulevard in Bethesda, remained open.

Anders said it was unclear whether the store would reopen today.

Staff writer Clarence Williams contributed to this report
 
Chris,

Is it just me, or were you being sarcastic when you said this is a "can't believe this happened" story?

Seems to me that this sort of thing is happening more and more frequently, and with less and less "reason" or "motive" that has a solid connection to logic and reality. It is getting scary out there.

There are too many "what if" scenario discussions already going on to start another one. I'm just going to say that I am glad to hear that somebody took the initiative to intervene.

Too keep this focused on tactics:
said he was shopping for sneakers on the second floor, near the escalator, when he heard "people screaming. It sounded like an argument."

"Initially everyone just ran in all different directions screaming," he said.

He said employees directed him and his wife and few other customers into a stockroom. Shortly afterward, they were told to leave the store, he said.
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Seems like the store has the "round up the herd and get them penned for the wolves" scenarion down pat.

stay safe.

skidmark
 
Republik of Maryland

Chris,

Looks like another case for CC in the Republik of Maryland. Good thing the federales were present. If not this could have been much worse.

The CC permit holders in the great state of VA would definately change the course of such actions here.

Another reason why I avoid MD. And places here that ban CC weapons.
 
Looks like another case for CC in the Republik of Maryland. Good thing the federales were present. If not this could have been much worse.
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The CC permit holders in the great state of VA would definately change the course of such actions here.
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I was thinking exactly the same thing Duxman.
 
Is it just me, or were you being sarcastic when you said this is a "can't believe this happened" story?
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No, actually that's what the people being interviewed at the mall said on the news, and residents of the suburban defense shooting a couple weeks ago said the same thing.
 
This kind of stuff happens when you least expect it. I used to catch a lot of heck from my wife for slipping a gun into my pocket before going to Wal-Mart, etc.

I point out these things out to her, not to scare her, but to show her it really can happen, and I'm not paranoid or playing cowboy.

I'm not crazy, I tell ya'! The rest of the world is!
 
wayneinfla,
I agree with you. I here the same thing sometimes about carrying in certain places. I wonder what they will say when I save their narrow minded, upprepared, niave behind one day. But then, they people who say these things do not take on the same responsibility as we do who carry. One day they just might (I hope never) just sit and watch something ugly happen to them or a loved one with the ability to do nothing. I simply choose to be ready to be more able stop evil if I see it happening. I never think it won't happen to me, but most people do.
 
^^ That veiwpoint sums up why I carry. I don't think it will happen to me. That said, I do everything in my power to be prepared for when it does happen.
 
I would say what are the odds that some one just walks into the local sears, grabs a chainsaw off the shelf and proceeds to make people soup cubes out of the local shoppers for reasons unknown? The bomb vest on some turban wearing taxi driver would make more sense.
 
I would say what are the odds that some one just walks into the local sears, grabs a chainsaw off the shelf and proceeds to make people soup cubes out of the local shoppers for reasons unknown? The bomb vest on some turban wearing taxi driver would make more sense. I'm just surprised they havent installed metal detectors at wal mart just to avoid some shootout. At the store I go, there is a resident cop in the office.
 
My wife used to deride me a little for carrying off duty all the time without fail until we went to see a movie at a local mall a couple of years ago and walked right into the middle of a gang shooting homicide. Dope head cranked off three rounds from a stolen .22 one clean miss, one through the sleeve od a bystander and one in the 10 ring of another bystander who was DRT. I, with three other off duty cops who also just happended to be in the same mall ended up in a 500 yard dash and corned the shooter and two of his buds in a theator restroom near by. What a night that was, my wife needless to say does not Q my carrying anymore but I still can't get her to get a CWP and a piece of her own. Sigh. Maybe later....
 
Why the our society needs to get unbackwards

Seems like the store has the "round up the herd and get them penned for the wolves" scenarion down pat.
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This is what really irks me nowadays. Everyone is promoting this kind of behaviour as responsible and courageous. The lesson that is taught nowadays is that when there is a BG run and avoid conflict at all costs. I worked as a bank teller for a few months and in training the trainers told us that 80% of all bank robberies are done by some unarmed individual who will slip you a note saying, "give me all your money' and we were told that if we receive this type of demand to concede and give the criminal what they wanted. Weaponry and confrational behavior were unacceptable. I was in disbelief. Needless to say I didnt work their long.

The Bad Guys have it good nowadays, 9/11 proved that when a handful of terrorist commandeered not one but Three Boeing Jetliners full of people, simply by threatening them with boxcutters and then proceed to ram them into the twin towers and the Pentagon.

we went to see a movie at a local mall a couple of years ago and walked right into the middle of a gang shooting homicide. Dope head cranked off three rounds from a stolen .22 one clean miss, one through the sleeve od a bystander and one in the 10 ring of another bystander who was DRT. I, with three other off duty cops who also just happended to be in the same mall ended up in a 500 yard dash and corned the shooter and two of his buds in a theator restroom near by.
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Now you sound like one of the courageous few who forced the Boeing into the field in Pennsylvania. By the way this aircraft had the least passengers(38total)These are the actions of those who live in a free and courageous country and were taught to fight against injustice. We should not scatter at the sight of a BG, but instead stand together and make them cease and desist. This is not what is taught anymore. If all these people that hid in the stock room would have instead picked up the closest blunt retail merchandise in reach and pummelled this psycho, there would have been one less person stabbed. But then again, hiding is not a bad idea as the psycho probably would have sued her attackers and the store and won a multi-million dollar lawsuit. Sometimes I wander how we got to this point.
 
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