Florida stabbing: Man attacks co-workers at building company

At least one victim is in a serious condition

Steven Outlaw, acting police chief in Tallahassee, Florida, briefs reporters over the stabbing of five people at a building supply company (AP)

A man has been arrested for allegedly stabbing five colleagues at a building supply company in Florida, leaving one of them seriously injured.

Interim Tallahassee police chief Steve Outlaw said the suspect, 41-year-old Antwann Brown, was being questioned.

Mr Bown is an employee of Dyke Industries, a commercial building supply company in Tallahassee, Florida. He was asked to leave work on Wednesday morning after being involved in a verbal dispute. Chief Outlaw says he allegedly began stabbing co-workers with a folding knife shortly after clocking out.

Five victims were taken to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital following a 911 call. A spokesperson for the hospital said that “one patient is in serious condition; two patients are in fair condition; and two patients are in good condition".

Chief Outlaw said that employees at Dyke Industries armed themselves with “whatever they could” in a “heroic” effort to stop the suspect from doing more harm before officers arrived.

Mr Brown fled the scene, but was later arrested. He was not fired on Wednesday morning, and had no apparent history of disciplinary problems with Dyke, according to Chief Outlaw. He had been employed there for three months. The motive for the attack is unknown.

A frantic scene unfolded following the stabbing, as family members of employees attempted to find out what was happening inside the business’s building, according to The Tallahassee Democrat.

Officers left the city’s September 11 memorial service to respond to the emegency call. Chief Outlaw told reporters that “you can’t help but wonder” if the anniversary was a factor in the attack, but that police had found evidence of any connections to the date.