Man grabs scissors and repeatedly stabs customer at store counter, Florida cops say

A man walked into a store, grabbed a pair of scissors and started repeatedly stabbing a man standing at the counter, according to a Florida sheriff’s office.

The man, identified as Edmond Clarke, 36, walked into The Trading Post at Burnt Store Marina, a family-owned restaurant and store in Punta Gorda, on Sept. 19 at the same time as the alleged victim, according to surveillance video from the store, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a Sept. 20 statement on Facebook. Punta Gorda is about 180 miles northwest of Miami.

Clarke “without warning” grabbed a pair of scissors from a shelf and started stabbing a man standing at the counter, the statement says. He stabbed the man multiple times with the scissors, then took several knives and continued the “brutal attack” for a few more minutes.

The man was stabbed more than 40 times in the head, neck and torso area, according to the sheriff’s office. First responders took him to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

Clarke faces a charge of attempted murder and is being held in the Lee County Jail, according to arrest records.

The Trading Post at Burnt Store Marina said Sept. 20 on Facebook that it was temporarily closed.

“All of our employees are safe and we are working with the authorities on the matter,” the statement says. “We will continue to keep you updated on our reopening and look forward to welcoming our customers back soon.”

This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Man grabs scissors and repeatedly stabs customer at store counter, Florida cops say."