Stabbing leaves 2 dead, 3 wounded in Huntington Beach hours after 4th of July celebration

Two people were killed and three others were wounded during a violent stabbing in Huntington Beach late Thursday evening, just hours after the city's popular Fourth of July celebration. 

It happened at around 11:15 p.m., when police were sent to the area near 16th Street and Pelican Avenue after learning of an assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department. 

Circumstances leading up to the attack remain unclear, and HBPD Major Crimes Unit personnel could be seen scouring the area early Friday morning. 

Detectives say that the attack left two people dead. On Monday, they were identified as William Thomas Collins, 47, and Eric Clayton Hodges, 42. Both were from Huntington Beach. 

Three others were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. 

Just before 7 a.m., investigators said that one person had been taken into custody. They later identified him as Logan Kelly, a 26-year-old Huntington Beach resident. He was booked on charges of murder and attempted murder. 

People living near where the incident happened began to learn the news as they started their days Friday morning, which many called shocking. 

"I've never experienced that before," said Jack Behimer, who has lived in the area for more than 30 years. "I mean it's always been kind of a crazy town on Fourth of July, back in the 90s there were some issues down here, but not since then that I'm aware of anyway."