Two people are dead and three others are hospitalized after a man went on an apparent stabbing spree during a Fourth of July celebration in Southern California, authorities said Friday.
The deadly incident unfolded shortly after 11 p.m. in a residential area of Huntington Beach, a seaside city in Orange County about 40 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles.
AP Photo/Eugene Garcia
Police officers stand guard at the crime scene where two people were killed and three others injured in Huntington Beach, California on Friday. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
Witnesses say a man got out of a vehicle at 16th St. and Pecan Ave., where a large group of family and friends had gathered, according to CW affiliate KTLA.
The man reportedly approached the group and began stabbing people on the sidewalk as they were celebrating the holiday, “having a beer [and] having a good time,” one resident told the station.
Two men who were part of the group reportedly tackled the stabber and held him to the ground until police arrived.
A 26-year-old Huntington Beach resident, identified as Logan Kelley, was arrested on the scene on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, city spokeswoman Jennifer Carey said.
The Huntington Beach Fire Department confirmed five people were found with apparent stab wounds, but authorities didn’t provide any details on the type of weapon used in the attack, local station KABC reported.
“As to the nature of how this happened, the events leading up to it, what transpired during, that’s all part of the investigation and we hope to have more details further on,” Carey told reporters. “We are looking into whether there is a known relationship [between the suspect and the victims].”
Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Their bodies were removed by the county coroner early on Friday.
At least three other victims were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening wounds, according to KTLA.
None of the victims have been identified.
