Co-worker Injures 5 People in Stabbing Spree in Florida

from DavidHarrisJr & Tallahassee Democrat newspaper

We're Not Being Told What Triggered the Violence

Antwann D. Brown has been arrested for the alleged stabbing spree in Tallahassee this morning. The current employee at Dyke Industries caused 5 people to be hospitalized after the alleged attacks on the West side of Tallahassee.

More from Tallahassee Democrat:

He was involved in a dispute at the office before the stabbing, which police said occurred with a pocket-knife style weapon.

Interim TPD Police Chief Steve Outlaw told media at a new conference “you can’t help but wonder” whether the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were a factor in the attack, but he said police have found no evidence of any connections to the anniversary. He said police still have not determined a motive and the attack was “spontaneous.”

He said co-workers fought off the knife-wielding Brown with objects in the office.

Chief Outlaw noted Brown has prior run-ins with law enforcement from years back. A Florida Department of Corrections offender website shows the 41-year-old spent time in prison for drug dealing and grand theft in cases going back to 1996. He was most recently released from prison in July 2009.

Asked about a rash of violence recently in the capital city, Outlaw said it is “a safe community” and many of the violent incidents spring from suspects and victims who know each other and were involved in illegal acts.

Tallahassee Police are not releasing details of what led to five people being stabbed at the business Wednesday morning.

Spokeswoman Rachelle Denmark said she did not have information about a motive for the stabbing during a brief midday update about the incident.

The suspect is not one of the five people being treated at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, Denmark said. She could not confirm that employees fought off the suspect but indicated more details would be released at an afternoon press conference at the scene.

The suspect was arrested in the vicinity of Dyke Industries inside of an industrial complex off Hartsfield Road. Investigators were continuing to sift through evidence at the scene and were interrogating the suspect.