SEATTLE — A suspect has been arrested in connection to six "random" stabbings at four locations in Seattle, according to the Seattle Police Department (SPD). The latest injured five people in Seattle's Chinatown-International District on Friday afternoon, a scene police initially responded to as a mass casualty event.
The stabbings occurred around 1 p.m. in the 1200 block of South Jackson Street on Nov. 8, but the man arrested for this incident is believed to be the suspect in several other recent stabbings.
Seattle police said four victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center and another victim was treated, then released at the scene. Four men arrived at Harborview in critical condition, according to a Harborview spokesperson. As of Friday evening, two of the men are still in critical condition; one is now in serious condition, and the other is satisfactory.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said every person deserves to feel and be safe in the city.
“The stabbings in Little Saigon and the Chinatown-International District are horrific, appalling, and shouldn’t occur anywhere in our city," Harrell said in a statement. "I am grateful for the efforts of first responders in arresting a suspect and caring for the victims of these attacks. I hope for their speedy recovery."
Harrell said he is committed to improving the safety of Little Saigon and the Chinatown-International District for all residents, workers and visitors.
"We will continue to take a proactive approach to this ongoing challenge – increasing law enforcement resources and patrols to quickly respond to and deter illegal activities, implementing evidence-based technology to prevent and solve crimes, and holding those who cause harm accountable for their actions," he said.
Police are continuing to investigate the suspect's connection to other recent incidents.
“This incident was apparently one individual over a 38-hour period of time committing random assaults … that is not at all the norm,” said Eric Barden, SPD deputy chief.
In total, 10 people — one woman and nine men — have been stabbed in the CID in less than two days, he said. The injuries range from small cuts to severe stab wounds, Barden said. One incident involved someone's cellphone being stolen, but the others have all been "random attacks."
"It's certainly plausible that the suspect involved in today's stabbing is the same suspect involved with the previous five incidents, but the investigation is ongoing and we will determine that," Barden said.
Timeline of stabbings
There were four other stabbings between the incident early Thursday and the one Friday afternoon.
The first stabbing occurred around 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning, Nov. 7, when a 52-year-old woman was stabbed multiple times near 12th Avenue South and South King Street.
Just after noon that same day, a 32-year-old man was stabbed multiple times near 8th Avenue South and South Jackson Street. Later that night, police responded to a 37-year-old man who was stabbed multiple times in the same area around 8 p.m.
A possible suspect was located near an abandoned building at 10th Avenue South and South Jackson Street; the 34-year-old man was found to have a knife and he was booked into jail on an unrelated felony warrant.
Minutes later around 8:40 p.m., police responded to reports of an assault in the 800 block of South King Street beneath the I-5 freeway overpass and found a 60-year-old man inside his car with a cut to his hand.
The victim told police that a suspect approached his vehicle, forcibly opened his car door and attempted to stab him in the chest. The victim blocked the assault and his hand was cut. His cellphone was also taken during the incident. The suspect ran from the scene; his description matched what was provided about the suspect in the previous stabbings.
Around 1 a.m. Friday morning, Nov. 8, officers responded to a 53-year-old man who was bleeding heavily from a neck injury in the area of 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street.
All of the victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center after they were stabbed. Despite using various search methods, the suspect believed to be connected to the stabbings was not arrested until Friday's incident.
KING 5 has multiple crews on scene gathering additional information.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.