PITTSBURGH – Police said a 12-year-old boy was stabbed in a McDonalds restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh just after 2pm on Saturday.
Investigators said it happened in the store in Liberty Avenue.
Charles Edward Turner, 51, of Pittsburgh, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder, four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault and resisting arrest. He is being held in jail in Allegheny County.
Police said a family of four was standing in line when a man tackled the child from behind and stabbed the boy in the neck. Family members immediately tried to get Turner off the child and struggled to restrain him.
While one family member helped the injured boy, another Turner still held on, biting him back and bleeding.
Two McDonald’s officials tried to intervene and help the child before police and EMS arrived. The boy was rushed to hospital in critical condition for treatment. His condition was upgraded Sunday morning.
Police said there was no indication that the victim and the suspect knew each other.
After the incident, Turner was found outside and shouted back and forth and shouted racial remarks, before returning to the restaurant. According to the criminal charge, family members tried to question Turner, who told them ‘he just wanted to finish his coffee and then leave the restaurant.’
During his arrest, he became belligerent with the police and punched and kicked officers. During the investigation, police found a box at the scene.
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This is not the first time a violent incident has taken place in a McDonald’s center. In November 2019, several people were charged in connection with a violent fight that started inside the restaurant in Wood Street and spilled outside. A couple argued with another man, an employee threw a fist and chaos ensued. A man was left unconscious and a woman was sprayed with pepper.
Weeks before the incident, a man was shot in the leg outside the same McDonald’s location after an argument.
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