A man supposedly enraged by coronavirus lockdown measures used a machete to attack a random married couple, both of whom are now in critical condition, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department says.
Kelvin Edwards, 35, is being charged with two counts of attempted murder after a machete attack at a storage facility on Sunday.
The police department called the assault “callous, unprovoked and random” in a public statement and warned that the two victims, Kevin Craft, 55, and Leanne Craft, 50, are currently in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Edwards, who is homeless, told investigators he had a storage bin at the facility the Crafts were at and used a machete from the bin to attack the couple. He said the attack was spurred by his frustrations over Covid-19 lockdown measures, which he claims have prevented him from entering a homeless shelter.
He decided to demonstrate his anger in the violent attack on the Crafts, who he did not know.
When officers arrived at the scene, Edwards reportedly threw down his machete, put his hands in the air and gave up.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper said Monday that the attack was “senseless.”
The city of Nashville, like others across the nation, has slowly begun rolling back lockdown measures in recent days, but there are still preventative measures in place at businesses and government buildings.
The specific shelter Edwards was angry about, Rescue Mission, has been issuing tickets for those staying there to ensure people use the same bed and follow CDC guidelines. If anyone is absent from the shelter for a night, they must test negative for Covid-19 to reenter. Edwards could have been denied reentry over the weekend, but the shelter has not confirmed this, and is now investigating.
If you like this story, share it with a friend!
