A man who prosecutors say stabbed five people, two of them fatally, in a July 4 attack in a California beach 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 is also charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a police officer, the prosecutor’s office said.
Kelley was charged under the so-called “special circumstances of multiple murder.” If convicted, he would be eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Two people were killed and three others were injured when a man armed with a knife began stabbing people during July 4 festivities
The suspect, who is from a nearby city, Redondo Beach, is said not to know any of the people he allegedly attacked.
Officials said a group of people were watching fireworks on the street near the intersection of Pecan Avenue and 16th Street when the incident occurred.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the suspect was under the influence of alcohol and hallucinogenic drugs when he started stabbing people.
During the shooting, Kelley allegedly stabbed Eric Hodges, 42, in the heart and William Collins, 47, in the lungs and neck, resulting in their deaths.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the suspect also stabbed two 35-year-old men, as well as the 68-year-old father of one of the injured men.
To stop his killing spree, he was held down by bystanders, including a 16-year-old boy, until police arrived.
Prosecutors said Kelley was also charged with assaulting the boy, spitting on a police officer and using a racial slur during his arrest.
Police officers stand guard at the scene where police say several people were killed and injured in Huntington Beach
The suspect, who is from the nearby town of Redondo Beach, is said to not have known anyone he attacked.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said of the incident: “A day when America and all the freedoms we all enjoy were thrown into deadly chaos at the hands of a stranger.”
Kelley’s arrest came days after the FBI and Homeland Security warned revelers to be on high alert for possible “lone wolf attacks” during the holiday celebration.
The security services said individual attackers and small extremist groups pose the greatest threat, warning that large groups of people are often seen as “attractive targets.”
Deeandre Adams was visiting friends at the scene of the attack on July 4 and was friends with the two murdered men.
“It’s sad. It was horrible,” he told the LA Times.
He said a man pulled up in a car, jumped out and stabbed everyone around him.
Deeandre Adams was visiting friends for the 4th, at the scene of the incident, when he said a man pulled up in a car, jumped out and started stabbing everyone
A stabbing victim is taken away as officers investigate the crime scene at the corner of 16th Street and Pecan Avenue in Huntington Beach
Experts warn that tensions in the country following the presidential election and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas are increasing the risks, and that it is particularly difficult to prepare for lone-wolf attacks.
“The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have instructed law enforcement to be on the lookout for these types of things, which are notoriously difficult to protect,” security correspondent Aaron Katersky told ABC news.
“The political climate in the country certainly doesn’t help.”
The federal alert, which was also issued by the National Counterterrorism Center, urged police departments across the country to be vigilant during the festivities.
While such messages are not uncommon in the run-up to a national holiday, this July 4 warning specifically refers to “domestic” attacks that can also be sparked by issues such as abortion and racism.
Such terrorists would ‘likely use simple tactics and relatively readily available weapons such as firearms, knives and vehicles.’
The bulletin also said that security services are currently not aware of any active plans to attack the festivities, but that attacks “could occur with little to no warning.”