3 Stabbed at Random in Downtown Seattle; Suspect Arrested

3 Stabbed at Random in Downtown Seattle; Suspect Arrested
First responders converge at a crime scene in the morning outside of Nordstrom, where a man reportedly stabbed several people on the sidewalk in downtown Seattle, on July 9, 2019. (Genna Martin/seattlepi.com via AP)

SEATTLE—Three people were stabbed at random in downtown Seattle, and a suspect is in custody, authorities said.

Seattle Police responded to a call about 10 a.m. on July 9. Police said in a blotter post that a 79-year-old man who was stabbed in the neck and a 77-year-old man who was stabbed in the back were taken to Harborview Medical Center. Hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg, who updated the older man’s age, said at 5 p.m. Tuesday that he was in serious condition while the other man was satisfactory.

Another man was stabbed in the forearm and treated at the scene, police said.

Seattle Police Department PIO Sean Whitcomb
Seattle Police Department PIO Sean Whitcomb, left, talks about several unprovoked stabbings that occurred in downtown Seattle, on July 9, 2019. (Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times via AP)

Christopher Morisette, 29, was arrested a couple of blocks away, according to police. Officers recovered a knife he had discarded in the back of a package delivery truck as well his clothes, which he removed as he fled, police said.

Seattle Fire Department personnel work at a crime scene
Seattle Fire Department personnel work at a crime scene outside of Nordstrom, on July 9, 2019, in downtown Seattle. (Genna Martin/seattlepi.com via AP)

“We do believe this was an unprovoked, random attack,” said Seattle Police Sgt. Sean Whitcomb, spokesman for the department.

Police investigate a crime scene
Police investigate a crime scene outside of Nordstrom, where a man reportedly stabbed several people in the morning on the sidewalk, in downtown Seattle, on July 9, 2019. (Seattlepi.com, Genna Martin/AP Photo)

Police booked Morisette into jail for investigation of assault and a state Department of Corrections violation.

It wasn’t known if Morisette has a lawyer.

Media gather at the corner of 6th
Media gather at the corner of 6th and Pine St. in downtown Seattle, where several stabbings occurred on July 9, 2019. (Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times via AP)

Morisette has spent time at the state’s largest psychiatric hospital and was sentenced to 45 days in jail after a December attack on a woman at another mental health facility, KIRO-TV reported.

A man cleans up blood from the sidewalk outside of Nordstrom
A man cleans up blood from the sidewalk outside of Nordstrom, where a man reportedly stabbed several people in the morning on the sidewalk, on July 9, 2019, in downtown Seattle. (Genna Martin/seattlepi.com via AP)

James Sido, a spokesman for the Downtown Seattle Association, said in a statement that “everyone deserves to feel safe in the heart of our city, and we clearly have more work to do to make that a reality.”

ntd newsletter icon
Sign up for NTD Daily
What you need to know, summarized in one email.
Stay informed with accurate news you can trust.
By registering for the newsletter, you agree to the Privacy Policy.
Comments