A Florida man stabbed an acquaintance 40 times with a pair of scissors in an attempted beheading inside a convenience store, officials said.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Edmund Clarke, 36, entered the location with the son of an elderly man he serves as a caretaker for.
Video of the Monday incident shows Clarke suddenly grabbing a pair of scissors he spotted inside the store and lunging at the victim as the bloody attack unfolds.
Deputies said Clarke allegedly hacked away at the man in an attempt to behead him — and grabbed other knives he found inside the store during the incident.
Clarke’s alleged assault lasted several minutes before cops arrived at the scene. The victim was rushed to a local hospital with severe wounds to his head, neck and torso.
According to an arrest report, Clarke had served as a caretaker for the victim’s father for roughly a decade, WINK reported.
The two met at some point before the incident and Clarke asked to go to the store to get something to eat.
According to a witness, Clarke began experiencing hallucinations and ranted about being targeted by an unknown enemy before launching the assault.
Clarke attempted to behead the victim, WINK reported.
He was arrested at the scene and hit with attempted murder raps.
“This disgusting crime will not be tolerated in Lee County,” said Sheriff Carmine Marceno. “I am proud of the quick response of our deputies that helped save the victim’s life, and the hard work of my detectives to take Clarke off the street.”