Man Stabs Four In Downtown Columbus College, Shot By Police

Columbus Police are still trying to find out what caused a man to enter a downtown office building and allegedly stab multiple people yesterday afternoon. Columbus Police still have not released the name of a man who allegedly entered 150 E. Gay Street during the busy lunch hour and stabbed four men. And investigators continue to look for a motive. Authorities say the suspect went into the Miami Jacobs College admissions office – located in the building – and allegedly stabbed two men. Bystanders were able to wrestle the knife away. But the man went back to the building’s lobby and allegedly stabbed two more men. Police say a total of three knives were recovered from the scene. Police spokesman Sergeant Rich Weiner said this case will not likely be solved quickly. “What is the link? Was this just a random act of violence, or was this a link to the building or someone inside the building? So those are the questions that investigators are seeking answers for," he said. Weiner said police still need to talk with the victims and the suspect. In the meantime, investigators are reviewing the building’s surveillance tapes as well as those from surrounding properties. Police have interviewed dozens of witnesses. Jason Jackson was working the cash register at Gordon’s Gourmet in the building when he heard a commotion. “I heard people, someone scream. And we had a lobby full of people eating, and saw a couple of people get up as though something was happening across the lobby. And people just started running. So I ran, too," Jackson recalled. By the time Jackson made it back around the building police had arrived, and the suspect, he said, refused to drop the knife. “They told him to put the knife down and he wouldn’t. And [police] drew [their] guns. And they asked him one more time [to drop the knife], and he wouldn’t, almost like he lunged at them. And that’s when they shot him," Jackson said. A 15-year veteran police officer shot the suspect multiple times. Fraternal Order of Police President Jim Gilbert called the officer’s actions heroic. “Stopping the threat, you know, I believe many lives were saved," Gilbert commended. Three of the four victims were in critical condition, another was in stable condition. The suspect also was in critical condition. The officer who shot the suspect received minor injuries. None of the victims’ names have been released. And police are still trying to confirm the suspect’s identity.