He slashed 2 people with a knife at a Tacoma shelter, charging papers say

A man who attacked two people with a knife at a Tacoma shelter Tuesday is in jail.

The 35-year-old pleaded not guilty at arraignment Wednesday to two counts of first-degree assault, and Court Commissioner Meagan Foley set his bail at $500,000.

The attack happened at the Tacoma Rescue Mission in the 400 block of South Tacoma Way.

Court records give this account:

A witness said one of the victims came out of the locker room, and said that he and another man had been stabbed.

The witness went to the scene of the stabbing and the suspect handed him a knife.

When police arrived, the suspect reportedly said: “I could not take it anymore, I just want to go home, I am hearing voices, I did it, I did it.”

Officers handcuffed the man and put him in a police vehicle, then went inside the shelter and found the victims. One had stab wounds to his neck and arm, and was sitting on the floor. He was surrounded by blood, and apparently losing consciousness.

The other man was holding a towel to his neck, the interior of which was exposed by a severe wound.

Later, as he was getting stitches at the hospital, that man told police what happened.

He said the suspect confronted him and the other victim, spoke about hearing voices and then started slashing them.