Suspect charged with attempted murder after victim stabbed more than 40 times in Florida restaurant

A man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a person dozens of times with a pair of scissors and several knives in Punta Gorda, Florida, on Monday, September 19, the local sheriff’s office said.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said that, without warning, the suspect took a pair of scissors from the counter in the Trading Post, a breakfast restaurant, and began stabbing the victim multiple times. The suspect then retrieved some knives and continued the attack, which lasted for several minutes, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office said the victim was stabbed more than 40 times in the head, neck, and torso. The victim was airlifted to Gulf Coast Medical Center, where they underwent emergency surgery, the sheriff’s office said.

Surveillance video released by Lee County Sheriff’s Office shows the moments leading up to the alleged attack, while other footage shows the restaurant cordoned off with tape.

“This disgusting crime will not be tolerated in Lee County,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno said.

The suspect was named as 36-year-old Edmond Clarke.

Credit: Lee County Sheriff's Office via Storyful