With the news about Russia, Andrew McCabe being fired hours before his retirement, Rex Tillerson being fired, and a tragic pedestrian bridge collapse at Florida International University, you might have missed a stabbing at a birthday sleepover in the Sunshine State, in which the attacker, a teenager, said he committed the act because of his Islamic religion. The assailant, Corey Johnson, 17, said he read the Koran before launching a vicious knife attack against the host family. The celebration was held at the house of Elaine Simon, who along with her 13-year-old son, Dane, were stabbed by Johnson a total of 44 times. Johnson killed Jovanni Brand, who was celebrating his birthday, in the attack. Johnson was on the FBI’s radar for making threats to a school in the United Kingdom on social media last year. Police reports suggest that almost 100 students were actually transferred out of that school because of the nature of the threats that were sent. The attack occurred last Monday, March 12. Johnson had barricaded himself before surrendering to police, according to the Sun Sentinel:
Teen murder suspect confessed to stabbing 3 in Palm Beach Gardens, killing 13 year old boy, due to his religious beliefs. Converted to Islam, watched violent videos. Latest at 3.https://t.co/uVDRan75Tf pic.twitter.com/1ejY6tquai
— WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) March 13, 2018
Police: Corey Johnson under investigation by FBI and Jupiter Police, reportedly converted to Islam and watched violent videos online. https://t.co/uVDRan75Tf pic.twitter.com/7hOBmg92hR
— WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) March 13, 2018
A teenager invoked his Muslim faith as the reason he killed a 13-year-old boy and also stabbed a woman and her son, Palm Beach Gardens police said Tuesday.
Police say Corey Johnson, 17, of Jupiter, was sleeping over at the home of Elaine Simon when the knife attack happened early Monday.
Police say Johnson killed another boy who was sleeping over — 13-year-old Jovanni Brand — by stabbing him repeatedly and cutting his throat. It was Jovanni’s birthday.
Police said Johnson also stabbed Simon about 12 times and stabbed Simon’s 13-year-old son, Dane Bancroft, about 32 times.
Johnson said he felt Dane made fun of his Muslim faith and practices and that Jovanni was idolizing famous people and referred to them as gods, which went against his beliefs, police said.
Investigators said Johnson admitted to reading the Quran on his phone just prior to the stabbing attack to give him courage to “carry out his intentions.”
[…]
Johnson admitted “his actions to our investigators, stating that he stabbed the victims because of his religious beliefs,” said Clint Shannon, the Palm Beach Gardens police chief.
Simon and Dane remain in the hospital. Here's part of the 911 call:
"There's a killer outside." 911 call released in triple stabbing in Palm Beach Gardens. 13-year-old boy killed. @PBGPD @CityofPBG Full 911 call here: https://t.co/uVDRan75Tf pic.twitter.com/isYrKTNl82
— WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) March 13, 2018
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