Knife-wielding suspect shot dead by police near RNC: sources

MILWAUKEE – A homeless man armed with a knife who said he had “heard voices” was shot and killed outside the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, the second death at a Republican event in just a few days.

A witness on the scene told the Washington Post that the man pointed two steak knives at police about five blocks from the GOP event headquarters – just two hours before the country’s leading party members were scheduled to take the stage.

“He had a look in his eyes that I had never seen before in the four months I had known him,” said Edward Watkins, another homeless man who claimed to be the victim’s best friend.

Several witnesses said the victim was “shot in the back” as he tried to flee from security forces. At least eight shots were heard, with some claiming the bullets came from as many as eight police officers.

The Fraternal Order of Police in Columbus, Ohio, confirmed that members of its department were involved in the shooting, but could provide few details about what led to the incident.

Alexi Worley, a spokesman for the convention’s joint command center, said there was no evidence that the shooting was related to the convention itself.

A man who claimed to be the victim’s brother told the Post that the unidentified man was homeless – there was a large “tent city” in the area.

Watkins identified the dead man as “Sam,” but said he was known to others in the camp as “Jehovah,” referring to a voice Sam had heard in his head.

It was known in the community that Sam “wanted to die,” Watkins said, adding that “Jehovah” had appeared frequently in recent days.

“He just told me he had these thoughts in his head. And he said, ‘Jehovah is coming down.’ And I believed him because I hear voices too,” Watkins said.

“When he ran forward with the knives, I knew he was ready to go.”

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Watkins claimed that Sam was neither waving the knives at police nor attempting to engage with them when he was shot.

The grieving man did not know Sam’s last name and said the two had known each other for only four months. Both had been living in the tent city and using crack together, he said.

“This is what we like to do. When we are in Tent City, we feel free,” Watkins said.

Milwaukee authorities could not confirm the identity of the victim, but the county coroner confirmed that an adult male was killed by gunfire.

The shooting came just three days after former President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated in a shooting on Saturday, and there has been a heavy police presence at the RNC all week.

This is a developing story, please check back later for further updates.