A man armed with a knife, who is also a person of interest in a murder case, went on a rampage on Saturday, assaulting four young girls in a movie theater and two other individuals at a McDonald’s restaurant. The initial assault took place around 6 p.m. at the AMC Braintree 10, where the man bypassed the ticket booth and entered a theater without purchasing a ticket.
The assailant attacked the four girls, aged between 9 and 17, without uttering a word, according to Braintree police. The victims were immediately transported to hospitals in the Boston area, where they received treatment for injuries that were not life-threatening. An AMC employee who was working at the concession stand during the attack described the man as wearing an oversized trench coat, sunglasses, and a long blonde wig.
Following the theater attack, the man fled the scene in a black SUV, driving over 30 miles to Plymouth, MA. There, he is suspected to have carried out a similar assault at a McDonald’s. At approximately 7:09 p.m., Massachusetts State Troopers responded to the McDonald’s at the Rt. 3 Park and Ride in Plymouth, where they found a 21-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man with apparent stab wounds. These victims were also taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Massachusetts State Police have suggested a likely connection between the movie theater attack and the McDonald’s assault. After refusing to stop for police, the suspect led officers on a car chase before crashing in Sandwich, MA. He was subsequently arrested and is currently receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the crash at a hospital.
The suspect is also believed to be connected to a murder investigation in Deep River, Connecticut. Connecticut State Police responded to a disturbance report at an address in Deep River around 3:36 p.m. One individual was found dead at the scene. The suspect in this investigation was taken into custody in Massachusetts, and there is no ongoing threat to the public. Earlier on Saturday, Connecticut State Police had issued an alert for the suspect, describing him as “armed and dangerous” with a 10-inch knife.