DULUTH, Minn. – A horrifying incident unfolded at a grocery store in Duluth, Minnesota, where an 81-year-old man was viciously attacked with a hammer while using the restroom. The victim suffered serious injuries, including a skull fracture, broken hand, and numerous lacerations and puncture wounds, in the unprovoked assault.
According to St. Louis County prosecutors, the suspect, 43-year-old Lance Alexander Tolbert, has been charged with first-degree attempted murder in connection with the brutal attack that took place on May 24 at Mount Royal Market on Woodland Ave. The victim recounted that he was suddenly attacked by Tolbert, who emerged from a stall wielding a hammer and proceeded to strike him multiple times while he was at a urinal.
During the onslaught, the elderly man was hit in the head and other parts of his body, causing him to fall to the ground. Despite the vicious assault, the victim managed to wrestle the hammer away from Tolbert when another individual entered the restroom, prompting the suspect to flee the scene. First responders rushed the injured man to a local emergency room, where medical professionals discovered the extent of his injuries.
Police apprehended Tolbert shortly after the attack, noting that he matched the description provided by witnesses and had blood on his clothing and face. Authorities also recovered a bloodied hammer from the suspect’s possession. Tolbert, however, refused to provide any statement regarding the incident.
Investigations are ongoing, with authorities planning to conduct tests on the hammer, hatchet, and clothing of both men in an effort to establish a direct link between Tolbert and the crime. The victim, who had no prior interaction with his attacker, remains in recovery as the community grapples with the shocking violence that occurred in their midst.