Four Injured As Axe-Wielding Man Threatens To Kill Shoppers At Lowe's Store

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (CBS Local) -- A man allegedly attacked at least four people with an ax inside a home improvement store in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Wednesday, authorities said.

Witnesses told police a man walked into a Lowe's store on Illinois Road and grabbed an ax, which was quickly taken away. The suspect then grabbed a second ax and began threatening the man who took away the first ax and another customer.

The suspect "was chasing both of us down the aisle telling us he was going to kill us and we're the devil and we need to die, we're not going to see anybody after this," said Christina Mora, who was shopping in the store at the time.

Mora told CBS affiliate WANE after that, they ran to the front of the store where she and the taller man split up. The suspect followed the man but told Mora he was going to come after her later.

Lowe's employees and some customers managed to get suspect on the ground shortly after and hold him there until hep arrived.

Four people received minor injuries during the incident. While Mora was not injured, she was shaken.

"I had already seen him swing and try to hit other employees and actually hit an employee so I knew he wasn't just chasing people just threatening to do it," she said. "This gentleman was actually trying to hurt people. I just thought I wasn't going to make it home to my kids, I wasn't going to see my family again, you know, how was anybody going to know what happened?"

Police took Joshua Kaleb Harless, 24, into custody and cleared out the store in case there were others involved, but they believe he acted alone.

Harless was charged with battery, criminal recklessness and aggravated battery.

In:
• Indiana