Shopkeeper Ilakshan Subeshkumar watched the horrific incident unfold on a busy street in StokeShopkeeper Ilakshan Subeshkumar, 19, witnessed the horrific attack unfold outside Clair Newsagents. He expressed his shock at the situation and said victims and passers-by ran to hide inside the store fearing for their safety.
He told CoventryLive: “I was there - while I was serving it happened outside the shop. A guy was holding an industrial pair of scissors and a screwdriver. He was going around anyone on the street running at them and trying to stab them.
“Some of the people came inside the shop and hid so he did not want to take the chance and come inside the shop which would take time. He wanted easy victims, so he was running around stabbing whoever was on the streets.”
Ilakshan locked up the corner shop and quickly went outside to check on the victims who had been hurt during the attack. Thankfully, police reached the scene shortly after and apprehended a 40-year-old man before taking him into custody.
Ilakshan said he had never witnessed anything like the events which unfolded on Saturday. “Nothing like this has happened before because this area is quiet so for something like this to happen is very odd,” he said.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police previously said: “We are appealing for witnesses and an injured man to come forward after two people were attacked by a man with scissors and a screwdriver in Coventry. We arrested a man after officers were called to the junction of Longfellow Road at Morris Avenue shortly before 1.30pm yesterday (Saturday, January 21).
“One man received superficial injuries but we are appealing to find a second man who was stabbed in the head with scissors and who hasn't come forward at this stage. A further man and a police officer were also threatened before he was arrested.
“A 40-year-old man was taken into custody and has since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act as our investigations continue. People with information should contact us by contacting Live Chat on our website or by calling 101 quoting investigation number 20/25542/23.”