Seven Injured in Mass Stabbing in Northeast Washington, D.C.

Police are on the scene after seven people were injured in a mass stabbing in Washington DC

At least seven people were injured in a mass stabbing incident in Washington, D.C., on Thursday afternoon. The attack occurred around 3:22 p.m. in the city’s northeast neighborhood near Gallaudet University, an institution for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Metropolitan Police responded to the scene and immediately administered life-saving measures to the victims. Four women and two men were transported to a local hospital and were reported to be in stable condition as of Thursday night.

The knife believed to have been used in the attack is pictured

A suspect was found nearby lying on the ground and was taken into custody. Authorities recovered a knife believed to have been used in the attack just feet away, with visible traces of blood on it. The suspect was also taken to a hospital and underwent surgery Thursday evening.

Police Chief Pamela Smith stated that the suspect appeared to be in an “altered mental state from an unknown substance” during the incident. The attack reportedly began when he stabbed himself and a woman he was with, before targeting others in what the chief described as a "senseless" act of violence.

Among the victims were a grandmother and her two granddaughters, who were attacked as they were getting into a car. Two additional people were stabbed after intervening to stop the assailant.

Police Chief Pamela Smith claimed the unidentified suspect was in an 'altered mental state from an unknown substance' when he stabbed himself and a woman he was with

Local resident Salvador Saucedo Guzman, who witnessed the aftermath, said that neighbors took swift action to subdue the attacker before police arrived. “He chose the wrong block to come on,” Guzman said. “Even though he had attacked those women and really hurt those women, we put him down.”

Guzman added that the grandmother who was attacked attempted to defend herself before suffering a medical emergency.

Police Chief Smith emphasized that the incident underscores the public safety risks associated with drug abuse.