Multiple People Stabbed At East Liberty Target
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A homeless man who was arrested for allegedly stabbing multiple people inside of a Target store in East Liberty Monday afternoon has been identified.
According to police, the suspect has been identified as 41-year-old Leon Walls.
Walls allegedly walked into the store on Penn Avenue around 5:30 p.m. and stabbed multiple people with a long kitchen knife on the second floor.
A total of six people were injured and four of them were stabbed.
A 16-year-old girl has been downgraded to critical condition after being stabbed in the back. The girl suffered a collapsed lung and underwent surgery at Children's Hospital.
A police officer is said to have suffered injuries from pepper spray and a man suffered chest pains during the incident.
"Why would someone come after a teenager?" witness Kristen Mohler asked. "It's just terrible and ... I felt like it could happen to anyone and I was shocked and horrified that it happened to her, someone so young."
One man was also cut in the lip and another sustained deep cuts on his finger, police say. Witnesses described him as nearly having his finger sliced off.
Police say the event is believed to have started near the intersection of Highland Avenue and Whitfield Street, where at least one of the victims was assaulted. After that, police say two men chased the suspect into Target. Once inside, he ran into the bathroom and one of the men followed him inside, but shortly after was chased out by the suspect who was wielding a knife.
Chris Jones who was in the store at the time, said he heard a commotion upstairs and women screaming before he tried to help.
"What I decided to do was run upstairs and help anyone that needed help," he said.
Jones said by the time he got upstairs people had detained the suspect.
"He was getting his tail whooped with a bat, with fists," Jones said. "He was getting tore up and I think he deserved it."
Witnesses describe a chaotic scene where people were screaming and running to get away. Some people hid in restrooms. Others hid in fitting rooms.
"Everybody was screaming," one witness said.
Target also released a statement Monday night partially reading, "The safety and security of our guests and team members is a top priority for Target and we are partnering closely with local law enforcement."
Police say Zone 5 is investigating the incident and multiple charges are pending.
- Watch Kym Gable's report:
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