It’s been just over a week since the random knife attack in a busy mall parking lot in Sudbury and a local man is being called a hero for stepping in to stop it.
Brent Holder says he reacted on instinct when he got out of his truck and walked toward a man who was swinging a knife at a woman and her baby.
Holder, a sales representative for a local steel company, says he remembers the incident like it was yesterday and remembers hearing the mother screaming for help.
“I was in my truck. I had just pulled in and was going through my emails, my face buried in my phone like many people do, so I wasn't noticing anything going on around myself. And it was just the screaming when the attack began." said Holder.
He says he looked up and saw a man standing behind a vehicle, clearly attacking someone.
"He was swinging his arms and flailing away and then he stepped back and turned his attention to a baby stroller that was sitting behind the vehicle. And he began to turn his attack towards the child and that's when, I don't know what happened, I can't explain it, but I jumped out of my vehicle and just straight at the guy." said Holder.
And from there, Holder says the man saw him coming and backed away from the stroller about 40 feet, which was Holder’s main goal.
He says seconds after backing away, the attacker pulled out a second knife.
"He took out both blades to his neck and proceeded to slash his throat in front of me and then dropped to his knees and fell forward to his face. And at that point, I was able to grab the knives out of his hands and call 9-1-1." said Holder.
He has been called a hero for saving the woman and her baby, and he says all the attention has been something he's not used to.
"I am very humbled by all the posts and responses and replies from community members and that. I am very humbled and would like to thank everybody for their positive interactions with myself." said Holder.
He says even though the incident is still fresh, he knows with time things will fade and that’s how he will move on.
