A man who prosecutors say stabbed five people, two of them fatally, in a July 4 attack in a California coastal town has been charged with murder.
Logan Christopher Kelley, 26, was arrested after he allegedly approached a group of people in Huntington Beach and stabbed them with a knife.
He has also been charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and battery on a police officer, the district attorney’s office said.
Kelley was charged under a provision known as “special circumstance multiple murders,” under which, if convicted, he could be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.
Two people were killed and three others injured when a man armed with a knife began stabbing people during Fourth of July celebrations.
The defendant, who is from a nearby town of Redondo Beach, is not believed to know any of the people he allegedly attacked.
According to officials, a group of people were watching fireworks on the street near the intersection of Pecan Avenue and 16th Street when the incident occurred.
Prosecutors say the defendant was under the influence of alcohol and hallucinogenic drugs when he began stabbing people.
During the attack, Kelley allegedly stabbed Eric Hodges, 42, in the heart, and William Collins, 47, in the lung and neck, resulting in their deaths.
The defendants also stabbed two 35-year-old men and the 68-year-old father of one of the wounded men, according to the district attorney’s office.
To stop his killing spree, people nearby, including a 16-year-old boy, detained him until the police arrived on the scene.
Kelley was also charged with assaulting the boy, spitting on a police officer and using a racial slur while being arrested, prosecutors said.
Police officers stand guard at the crime scene where police say several people were killed and injured in Huntington Beach
The defendant, who is from a nearby town of Redondo Beach, is not believed to know any of the people he allegedly attacked.
Speaking about the incident, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said: “A day to celebrate America and all the freedoms we all enjoy turned into deadly chaos at the hands of a stranger.”
Kelley’s arrest comes days after the FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned that Fourth of July revelers should be on high alert for possible lone wolf “attacks” while celebrating the holiday.
Security agencies said lone attackers and small extremist groups posed the greatest threat, warning that large crowds are often seen as “attractive targets.”
Deeandre Adams was visiting friends on the 4th at the scene of the attack and was friends with the two men killed.
“It’s sad. It was horrible,” she told the LA Times.
He said a man pulled up in a car, jumped out and started stabbing everyone around him.
Deeandre Adams was visiting friends on July 4 at the scene of the shooting when she said a man pulled up in a car, jumped out and started stabbing everyone.
A victim of a multiple stabbing is led away as officers investigate the scene at the corner of 16th Street and Pecan Avenue in Huntington Beach.
Experts warn that high tensions across the country due to the presidential election and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas are increasing risks, and it is alarmingly difficult to prepare for lone wolf attacks.
“The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are telling law enforcement to be on the lookout for these types of things that are notoriously difficult to prevent,” said security correspondent Aaron Katersky. ABC News.
“The political environment in the country certainly does not help.”
The federal warning, which was also issued by the National Counterterrorism Center, urged police departments across the country to be vigilant amid the celebrations.
While such bulletins are not uncommon before a national holiday, this July 4 warning specifically cites “domestic” attacks that could be triggered by issues including abortion and racism.
These terrorists would likely use simplistic tactics and relatively easy-to-obtain weapons, such as firearms, knives and vehicles.
The bulletin added that while security agencies are not currently aware of any active plots to attack the celebrations, attacks “can occur with little or no warning.”