Wal-Mart Stabbings

In three separate incidents in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Colorado, stabbings at or near Wal-Marts have been in the news this week. The timing may be by chance or related to the Akihabara district stabbing spree in downtown Tokyo, which left seven dead last Sunday, June 8th.

A Wal-Mart employee was arrested after he allegedly stabbed a teenage customer inside a Pearland, Texas store, Houston's KPRC Local 2 reported. Pearland police said the stabbing happened at the Wal-Mart in the 1700 block of East Broadway in Pearland, Brazoria County, at about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, 2008.

Investigators said a 16-year-old male customer got into an argument with the employee over a girl. The teen got upset and punched the employee, detectives said. The employee, 18-year-old Ray Canales, became enraged, pulled out a pocketknife and allegedly stabbed the customer five times about the upper back and face. The victim was taken by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital in serious but stable condition.

Meanwhile, the Hanover, Pennsylvania Evening Sun reported Velda C. Stonesifer, 32, was stabbed nine times, near the Gettysburg Wal-Mart off Shealer Road, around 10 p.m.on Wednesday night, June 11, 2008. Michael E. Crum, 31, allegedly stabbed his girlfriend nine times during an argument, according to Trooper Curtis Whitmoyer, who led the investigation.

On Monday, June 9, 2008, the Colorado media reported a teenager was arrested in Fort Collins, who was also allegedly linked to three attacks, including a stabbing at a Wal-Mart. Police arrested the 17-year-old at the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 1250 E. Magnolia Street, in Fort Collins, Colorado, after they reported a 20-year-old man, Frank McConnell, of Ault, was stabbed in his abdomen. Police believe the suspect may be the same person who assaulted another man and harassed a cyclist earlier in the day during a series of random attacks.

These three Wal-Mart-related stabbing incidents were found through a quick survey of news sources. There may be other Wal-Mart stabbings this week, which have been unreported or underreported by the media.

As of 2005, Wal-Mart had 3,800 stores in the United States and 2,800 elsewhere in the world.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large, discount department stores. It is the world's largest public corporation by revenue and the world's largest private employer, according to the 2008 Fortune Global 500.