Rescue crews took a man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after he was stabbed in the parking lot of a Publix supermarket in Fort Lauderdale, police said.
Fort Lauderdale Police units responded to the scene of the incident outside the Publix at the Harbor Shops plaza, located at Cordova Road and Southwest 17th Street, just before 8:15 p.m., Wednesday.
Responding officers arrived to find the injured victim in the parking lot.
Paramedics with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue transported the patient to Broward Health Medical Center.
7News cameras captured the victim’s belongings in a Publix plastic bag by a curb, feet away from the supermarket’s entrance.
A married couple found themselves in the midst of the aftermath of the incident before first responders arrived.
“He was just bleeding. He was just bleeding all over the place,” said a witness. “Then I heard people saying that he was stabbed, so my husband ran up and tried to help him.”
The woman’s husband told 7News he saw the victim on the ground after he was already injured. He said his military training kicked in as he rendered aid to the victim.
“Once I saw him down, I went over there and started talking to him to make sure he was calm, push his insides back inside,” he said, “but I was definitely worried he’d bleed out, and just started talking to him and keep him, you know, [with] knowledge of what’s going on.”
The woman who spoke with 7News said he saw a man in a black bicycle watching this all unfold.
“And the guy was just starting over there with his bike, and he was looking, and I was trying to stay away so, you know, he didn’t come over and try to hurt us or anybody else,” she said. “He just got his bike and just rolled out.”
Witnesses believe the bicyclist was the subject responsible for the stabbing. They said he appeared to be over 6 feet tall and was wearing a blue and white shirt and blue jeans.
Police have not provided further details about the stabbing, as they continue to investigate.
If you have any information on this stabbing or the subject’s whereabouts, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.