Fontana Target Suicide: Man Opened Packaged Knife In Store, Stabbed Himself In Torso
A man reportedly walked into a Target store in Fontana, California, and stabbed himself to death in the store.
According to KTLA 5 News, surveillance footage showed the man walking into the Fontana Target located in the Falcon Ridge Town Center shopping mall after 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning. The report further states that the man went straight to the housewares section of the store, opened a packaged knife, and used it to stab himself.
A man unwrapped a knife and stabbed himself to death with it at a Fontana Target store https://t.co/SMeijeqnPV pic.twitter.com/R0w2HYyuvM
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) March 31, 2016
The Daily Mail reports that the Fontana Police Department opened up about the Fontana Target suicide in a press release.
“On Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at approximately, 11;07 a.m., officers responded to a call about a man down in an aisle inside the Target store… Upon arrival officers located the individual in the housewares section of the store with an apparent stab wound to the torso… Surveillance video revealed the unidentified male walked into the store and headed to the kitchen section.”
The man reportedly died at the scene. His identity was not immediately released to the press “pending notification of next of kin.”
The report states that the section of the Fontana Target store in which the incident occurred was “secured and covered” so it was apparently obscured from public view. Martha Guzman-Hurtado, a spokeswoman for the Fontana Police Department, claimed the Fontana Target store remained open for business initially after the incident.
Man stabs self to death inside Target store in Fontana https://t.co/xkFPeIFuOp pic.twitter.com/EuETRNj7EL
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) March 30, 2016
In an interview with a news group, according to KTLA 5, 34-year-old Marlene Rodriguez opened up about her dissatisfaction with the store’s decision to remain opened.
“It’s disgusting that they would let people continue to shop when there’s a dead body inside.”
As seen by the reactions and responses shared on Twitter, Marlene was apparently not the only person that was shocked by the Fontana Target remaining open after a man died of suicide in its housewares section.
A man stabbed himself to death inside the Fontana Target yesterday and they stayed open for two hours afterwards…what.
— oddporcelain (@brinaleann) March 31, 2016
So the Fontana Target let a man get killed and let people shop till the Coroner came. Man takes a knife off the shelf and murdered himself
— Cali (@iLikeCaliDonks) March 30, 2016
The Fontana Target on Summit Ave is open regular hours today a day after a man stabbed himself inside the store.
— Beatriz Valenzuela (@BeatrizVNews) March 31, 2016
Erika Winkels, the public relations manager for Target, reportedly stated that “the safety and security of our team members and guests is our top priority.” Winkels further explained that the Fontana Target store was working and cooperating with law enforcement officials.
According to Daily Mail, the company issued a statement about how the store handled the aftermath of incident, claiming that the delayed closing was due to the investigation.
“Once it was determined there was no danger to guests or team members, we sectioned off the entire area to allow the police to investigate. Following that investigation, we did close the store, and the store remains closed. We anticipate reopening soon. We appreciate the support of local law enforcement, and our thoughts are with anyone who may have been impacted.”
KTLA 5 was able to successfully contact a Target spokeswoman by phone at 3 p.m. Wednesday for a statement in reference to the incident at the Fontana Target. The spokeswoman reportedly claimed that the store was, in fact, closed, but declined to specify the time at which it was closed after the tragic incident occurred.
[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
