Company president stabbed by 'quiet' employee during staff meeting
A Michigan employee allegedly stabbed their company's president during a staff meeting.
In a statement by the Fruitport Township Police Department, the 32-year-old male worker, who was identified to be Nathan Mahoney, suddenly attacked Erik Denslow, the president of Anderson Express Inc., as they were having an office gathering at 9:20 in the morning.
"After stabbing the victim in the side with a knife, the suspect ran from the business, entered his vehicle, and fled the scene," the report stated.
Police immediately acted upon the incident and apprehended Mahoney 15 minutes after he allegedly committed the act.
Officers have yet to establish a motive for the stabbing as Mahoney was described by his fellow employees to have had a "quiet demeanor" while at work.
He was also relatively new at the manufacturing company as it had only been two weeks since he was hired to replace a high-ranking employee who was set to retire.
However, Deputy Chief Greg Poulson said that they are not ruling out the possibility that the suspect took inspiration from the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City earlier this month.
"We haven’t ruled out copycat motive in regards to this. I think that comes to everyone’s mind [at] this time. We’re going through all his social accounts, all his electronic media, and trying to determine a motive for this act," Poulson told News 8.
The police department assured that they are conducting an ongoing investigation regarding the incident, which includes looking back at video recordings at the scene.
Denslow survived the attack and has now gone through surgery at a hospital. He is expected to recover from his injury soon.
Anderson Express Inc. released a statement regarding the incident and said they are "in shock" at Mahoney's actions.
"Our first thought is with our president, who has a good prognosis for a full and speedy recovery. We are also focused on supporting our employees as they process this senseless assault. We appreciate the swift actions of local law enforcement and will continue to cooperate with their investigation, which is ongoing at this time," they said in a statement sent to WZZM 13.
Mahoney has now been arraigned on a charge of assault with intent to murder. He was reportedly granted a $500,000 (P29 million) cash/surety bond.
His attack appears to draw comparisons with what happened to Thompson, who was shot and killed outside a New York Hilton hotel in an apparently targeted hit. He is known to be the chief executive of one of the largest health insurance companies in the US.
The alleged killer, Luigi Mangione, has been charged with federal and state murder, stalking, and terrorism cases.
