A Walmart Supercenter in Conway, Arkansas, became the scene of a violent attack after a confrontation between an employee and a random man ended in a stabbing. The Conway Police Department’s quick response meant the suspect was found still at the scene. As for why he attacked her in the first place — he reportedly believed she was a “demon.”
Officers were dispatched at 10:58 p.m. and arrived at the Walmart before 11:00 p.m. The rapid response meant they encountered the alleged attacker, Zeddrick Ross, 37, still armed with a knife. The responding officers ordered Ross to drop the weapon, but he refused. One officer fired and missed, while the second successfully deployed a taser.
The victim, Jordanne Drinkwater, 32, received emergency aid at the scene, but her injuries were too severe, and she died inside the store. Officers later determined that Ross did not know Drinkwater prior to the attack. It appeared to be a case involving serious mental health issues.
While there is still no official confirmation about Ross’s condition, if authorities determine that mental illness was central to the incident, it would not be the first case like this in recent months. Just last month, a man in Seattle attempted to push a stranger onto the tracks of an oncoming train and later claimed it might have been his “twin” — despite not having one.
Police confirmed that Ross has been booked into the Faulkner County Detention Center, and no one else was injured during the incident. Ross later told detectives he believed he was being stalked by a “demon” and thought Drinkwater resembled it. He said he carried a knife to “protect himself,” which is how the situation escalated into violence.
Walmart has been at the center of several controversies, and its official response is expected soon. According to affidavits obtained by the New York Post, Ross had gone to the Supercenter intending to obtain additional weapons. That detail only adds to ongoing debates about access to weapons — because if he had been able to acquire a firearm in that state, the outcome could have been even worse.
Ross’s record also includes prior encounters with law enforcement. In 2020, he faced a misdemeanor theft charge, and in 2022, he was charged with obstructing governmental operations in Faulkner County District Court. He served one year of probation that same year.
Drinkwater’s friend of 10 years, Sam Slaughter, paid tribute to her, saying, “I never met somebody as, as, as pure as Jordan. It was just — I don’t — I didn’t understand. I still don’t understand why it had to be her. She helped change my entire life for the better—everything from staying sober to the way I think about the world and how it works and not putting more hate into it and just trying to do better. She was an amazing human being. She’s going to be so, so missed.”
Drinkwater is described by many friends as an “amazing human being.” Ross’s court appearance is yet to be announced.
