11 Injured In New Mexico After Man Goes On Stabbing Spree For 'No Reason'

Nearly a dozen people were injured in a stabbing spree Sunday morning in at least seven different locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Law enforcement said the attacks appear to be “random” and no motive has been determined yet.

Albuquerque Police Department (APD) spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said the first stabbing took place at around 11 a.m. outside of Sister Bar in downtown Central, The Albuquerque Journal reported. Most of the succeeding stabbings happened along the Central area but later on, more stabbings were reported at Harvard Dr., Pennsylvania St., and in the Domingo area. There were 11 victims in total, with some of them sustaining critical wounds.

The victims were transported to hospitals in the Albuquerque area. Some were treated and discharged from the hospital or were reported to be in stable condition.

A man was taken into custody in connection with the stabbing spree. He was riding a small BMX bike. “The offender was reported to be riding a small BMX bike, and armed with a large knife,” Gallegos said.

One victim was eating inside a restaurant with family members when the attack took place, NBC affiliate KOB reported. Another victim was inside a tent at the time of the incident. The latter victim was with a person who had just been involved in a vehicular crash.

Speaking with the outlet, witness Rob, who refused to give his last name, said the suspect was “talking like crazy, he was angry about something,” adding that “as soon as he dropped the bike he pulled his blade out.” Rob also said he was held up by the suspect near Wyoming Blvd. and Central Avenue before law enforcement came to apprehend the man.

Gallegos said the stabbings “appear to be random, someone was involved with an accident here on Central, a person just came up and said they were stabbed. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason at this point,” KRQE reported. Law enforcement is investigating “seven possible scenes” related to the stabbings.

Officials are investigating whether the suspect acted alone or if the stabbings were indeed random as initial investigations revealed, KOAT Action 7 News reported. No charges have been made so far and details about the incidents are limited.

Data from Statista revealed that there were 1,739 murders by use of knives or cutting instruments in the United States in 2020. Furthermore, 2020 homicide figures released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in November revealed that Albuquerque was one of the cities that logged the highest homicide numbers yet in the said year.