A man is facing murder charges after an incident on July 4 in a coastal town in California, where authorities say five people were stabbed, two of whom died.
After reportedly approaching a group of individuals in Huntington Beach and stabbing them with a knife, 26-year-old Logan Christopher Kelley was arrested.
In addition to attempted murder, the District Attorney’s office has charged him with assault with a dangerous weapon and battery on a police officer.
If convicted, Kelley may face the death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole under the “special circumstance of multiple murders” clause.
Officials said the incident occurred when a crowd was viewing fireworks on the roadway near the corner of Pecan Avenue and 16th Roadway.
According to the prosecution, the accused began stabbing individuals while under the influence of alcohol and hallucinogenic substances.
During the rampage, Kelley reportedly fatally stabbed 42-year-old Eric Hodges in the heart and 47-year-old William Collins in the lung and neck. Three other men survived their wounds.
A group of bystanders, including a 16-year-old lad, apprehended and held the killer until the police arrived.
According to authorities, Kelley spewed racial slurs while being detained, striking the youngster and spitting on a police officer.
The accused, a native of neighboring Redondo Beach, is said to have no connection with the persons he allegedly assaulted.
Just days before the Fourth of July celebrations, the FBI and Homeland Security issued a warning that lone wolf ‘attacks’ may occur, prompting Kelley’s arrest.
The dangers are already high, according to experts, but they’re getting much higher because of the presidential election and the continuing Israel-Hamas war and because lone-wolf attacks are terrifyingly challenging to plan for.
The country’s political climate isn’t helping matters, either.
The advisory went on to say that no known plots to disrupt the festivities at this time exist, but assaults “can occur with little to no warning.”
