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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Three stabbed in north Spokane

Three men in northeast Spokane were stabbed several times Wednesday night, and one was fighting for his life, police said.

Officers swarmed the neighborhood around the 1400 block of East Broad Avenue, a block north of Rogers High School, about 8:30 p.m. after the three were stabbed in the street in front of a home, police Lt. Craig Meidl said. Neighbors reported that at least one of the victims lives in the house.

About an hour and a half later, police converged at an address in the 500 block of East Rich Avenue. Late Wednesday, police were talking with a man sitting on the sidewalk. He later left the scene in a police car. It was unclear at press time how the man was related to the stabbing incident.

Police and neighbors said the violence may have been linked to a fight that was sparked earlier in the evening when the men who were later stabbed confronted the man after he damaged a car – though police said they couldn’t find a car with damage. The stabber apparently left the scene of the fight and soon returned, neighbors said.

Meidl said two victims were near the sidewalk and one was in a yard when police arrived. Those two suffered multiple wounds to their arms, legs, torsos and backs. All had serious injuries. One was in critical condition late Wednesday.

Kevin Klein, who lives nearby on Broad, said he witnessed the earlier fight.

“He walked right past me,” Klein said. “From what I understand, he’s the one who came back and stabbed them.”

Police said preliminary information indicated that the stabber and victims did not know each other before their confrontations Wednesday.

Witnesses said the stabber was in his late teens or early 20s and that he was with a woman when the stabbing took place.