A woman working at the Kroger in Waynedale was stabbed by an unknown man on Thursday morning, leaving her in life-threatening condition, according to Fort Wayne Police.
The incident happened around 11 a.m. at the grocery store on Bluffton Road, where police, fire crews, Allen County Sheriff’s officers and a TRAA ambulance responded to the scene.
Witnesses saw paramedics carrying the victim out of the store on a stretcher and performing chest compressions.
Sgt. Jeremy Webb, the public information officer for FWPD, said there have been conflicting accounts on what exactly happened, and officers are interviewing witnesses to piece together the details.
Webb said the suspect had a disturbance with the victim earlier in the day, in which he left the store and came back with a knife. He then stabbed the woman and fled the scene in a vehicle.
Webb said police are still looking for the suspect, who has not been identified yet. He said officers are working to get a description of the man and the vehicle.
Webb added that the police do not believe the victim and suspect knew each other, but he said “maybe some words were exchanged” during the initial encounter before the suspect came back.
The victim was taken to the hospital in life-threatening condition, Webb said. He did not provide any information about her identity or her current status.
The Manager of Corporate Affairs for Kroger’s Central Division released a statement saying, “The Kroger family is saddened by the terrible news we’re hearing. The safety of our associates and customers is always our priority. Right now, our team is working with the police to assist with the investigation in any way we can. We’ll add further comment as we learn more about the incident. The store will be closed until further notice.”
The Kroger on Bluffton Road is closed until further notice, store officials confirmed.
