A man was arrested in the Atlanta airport who is believed to have killed five but stabbed 20. He was attempting to board a flight to Tel Aviv, Israel. As an Israeli citizen, Elias Abuelazam came to the U.S. legally. Of the 20 incidents, 16 took place in Michigan, 3 occurred in Virginia and one in Ohio. There is a belief that race was part of these crimes considering most of those victimized were African American.
Beginning attacks in May
In late May, reports started of people being approached by a man, fitting Elias Abuelazam’s explanation, asking for help with a stalled automobile or for directions. The man would then stab the victims with a knife and run. According to ABC, Elias Abuelazam was just lately arrested for a simple assault, which led police to believe that he was the person behind the stabbings. To identify the killer, law officials from Michigan, Virginia and Ohio all started working together with the public to get an ID.
Race a motive behind killing
Most of the victims were African American males, and the crimes are believed to be racially motivated. Since 16 of these victims were stabbed in Flint, Michigan, that is where the police did most of their research. Three other stabbings took place in Leesburg, Va., and one took place in Toledo, Ohio. The stabbings caused a Flint judge to issue a warrant for the arrest of this man. He was boarding a flight for Tel Aviv, Israel when the Michigan police found him in Atlanta International Airport because of a tip. Police took him into custody after a page was issued through the intercom.
Nevertheless no conviction
There is enough evidence to believe he is the perpetrator, but at this point he remains only a suspect. He won’t be sentenced to death considering Michigan, where five deaths happened, is not a death penalty state, and that is where he is being convicted.
Additional reading
ABC News
abcnews.go.com/US/TheLaw/serial-stabber-suspect-identified-elias-abuelazam-federal-officals/story?id=11382102 and amp;page=1
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