An Illinois man has been arrested after the fatal stabbing of a teenage employee at a Walmart last Sunday, in what appears to be a racially motivated hate crime.
Timothy Carter, 28, has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly killing Jason Jenkins, 18, an employee of the Walmart in the town of Rockford.
A criminal complaint detailed surveillance video footage of Carter in the store picking up a silver kitchen knife and a red hunting knife, and “giving all of the African American people dirty looks”, local news station WGN9 reported.
Carter then allegedly walked up behind Jenkins and stabbed him once in the lower back.
STABBING VICTIM: An adult male was stabbed by another adult male inside the Wal-Mart on Northridge and is being treated for serious injuries. The suspect is in custody and there is no threat to the public.
— RockfordILPolice (@RockfordPD) March 24, 2024
Jenkins reportedly did not know the alleged assailant.
In a statement, Rockford police said: “On Sunday March 24, at approximately 6.05pm, Rockford police officers responded to the Walmart on Northridge [Drive] for a report of a stabbing. When officers arrived, they located an 18-year-old male Walmart employee with a life-threatening stab wound to the back.”
Jenkins was immediately taken to Mercyhealth Javon Bea hospital on Riverside, where he died from his wounds.
Rockford police said once Carter was taken into custody, he was transported to a local county jail. He reportedly made his first court appearance on Monday afternoon.
Carter’s last known addresses were in the counties of Ford and Kankakee. Rockford police are encouraging anyone with further information related to the incident to contact them.
The Walmart in which the stabbing took place remains closed until further notice. Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The killing is one of several incidents of violence which have taken place in a Walmart store in recent months. In January, a man was stabbed in the leg near the deli and produce section of a Walmart in Milwaukee, just before the store closed.
In February, a 59-year-old man was shot and killed in the parking lot of a California Walmart after trying to apologize for causing a fender bender. Another person was killed in a shooting earlier this month at a Walmart in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Just last week, a former Walmart employee was taken into custody after he shot a man in a Walmart near Memphis, Tennessee.
In response to the shooting, the Walmart corporation said: “The safety of our associates and customers is our top priority. We will work closely with local law enforcement through the course of their investigation and refer any additional questions to them.”
