A crazed man entered a Smith’s grocery store in Salt Lake City, Utah, purchased a knife, exited the store and began stabbing nearby customers while yelling “you killed my people.” The criminal viciously attacked two patrons before a man with a Right-to-Carry permit arrived on the scene, drew his gun and ordered the attacker to drop the knife. The criminal complied, which allowed other bystanders to subdue the attacker until police could arrive.
Salt Lake City Police have hailed the armed citizen as a hero who likely saved lives, with Lt. Brian Purvis noting, “This was a volatile situation that could have gotten worse. We can only assume from what we saw it could have gotten worse. He was definitely in the right place at the right time.” An investigation revealed that the knife-wielding man has a lengthy criminal record with convictions for criminal trespass, attempted aggravated assault, attempted aggravated assault on a police officer and sexual battery and lewdness. The attacker’s latest stint in jail occurred less than a week before the rampage, after he was arrested for joyriding and possessing false identification. (The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, Utah 04/27/12, KTVX, Salt Lake City, Utah 04/27/12)