Miami Cannibal Attack Latest Sign Of 'Zombie Apocalypse,' Conspirators Claim

The Miami cannibal attack became a national obsession after homeless man Rudy Eugene was shot and killed by police on Saturday, but some conspirators claim it is just the latest sign that a zombie apocalypse is sweeping across the nation.

Anyone who read the news on Tuesday was familiar with the case of Eugene, the Miami man who was shot and killed by police after being caught in the act of chewing on another human being's face.

But that is not the only event to happen in the last 12 days in Florida that conspiracy theorists say is evidence that the long-feared zombie apocalypse is beginning in the sunny state and elsewhere throughout the nation

The concept of a zombie apocalypse, during which humans turn into zombies and walk the earth in search of the last remaining humans so they can feed on their brains, has been popularized by movies like Shaun of the Dead and 28 Days Later, and has inspired books, blogs and more about the concept.

And the zombie apocalypse is nigh, if you believe the predictions of people like the writer behind the blog IHopeRickSantorum, who compiled a list of 10 zombie-esque happenings in Florida and other states between May 16 and Saturday, highlights of which are broken down below:

• On May 16, students and teachers at a Florida high school had to be decontaminated after breaking out in a mysterious rash, according to the Huffington Post.
• On May 21, a Bellwood, Illinois, man was arrested after allegedly biting an 18-year-old woman's cheek, according to MySuburbanLife.com.
• On May 23, a Spring Valley, Calif., man was arrested for allegedly biting the tip off of his cousin's nose off, according to NBC San Diego.
• On May 26, the same day as the infamous Miami cannibal attack, a Florida anesthesiologist allegedly banged his head against the inside of a cop car until he started bleeding following a DUI arrest. He then proceeded to allegedly spit blood in a police officer's face, acccording to ABC News.

All these events, combined with the Miami cannibal attack itself, have sparked widespread fears -- however irrational they may be -- that a zombie apocalypse has begun.

And there are several other events beyond these that contribute to the conspiracy theory.

On May 26 a Palm Coast, Fla., man (yes, Florida again), was arrested for allegedly biting the lips off one kitten and strangling another cat to death, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

And a Hackensack, N.J., man allegedly stabbed himself repeatedly in front of the police on May 27, then began to pull his own guts out, and proceeded to throw his intestines at police officers, according to the Daily Mail.

As IHopeRickSantorum writes as a conclusion to his list: All in same week and same state.... may God be with you Florida.

The Miami cannibal attack is still the most chilling of the zombie-like incidents, however:

Larry Vega was riding his bicycle between Miami and Miami Beach when he saw Eugene attacking his victim and flagged down a police car. When police officers arrived on the scene, they repeatedly ordered Eugene to halt the attack and leave the man alone. Vega told Miami's WSVN TV that at that point the guy just stood his head up like that, with a piece of flesh in his mouth, and growled.

Eugene did not cease the attack, and police officers shot him dead, leaving his body next to the mangled body of the victim, who has not been identified and is reportedly still in critical condition at an area hospital.

Police are still investigating the crime, but some reports state that Eugene may have been under the influence of LSD or bath salts when he attacked his victim:

Whenever we see that a person has taken all of his clothes off and has become violent, it's indicative of this excited delirium that's caused by an overdose of drugs, said Armando Aguilar of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police. What's happening is inside their body their organs are burning up alive.