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Two dead, one critical after stabbing spree
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Two Ahwatukee Foothills residents are dead and a third is in critical condition after Phoenix police say a 26-year-old man went on a stabbing spree late Tuesday night that ended when one of the victims fought back with a baseball bat.
Police Sgt. Tony Morales said that the suspect, Matthew Cunningham, is in serious condition at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix and will likely be arrested on suspicion of two counts of murder and multiple counts of aggravated assault upon his release. Police say that shortly before 11:30 p.m., Cunningham stabbed his 38-year-old roommate to death in the apartment they shared at 15801 S. 48th St. A few moments later, Cunningham encountered a 28-year-old neighbor and stabbed her to death, Morales said.
Cunningham is then believed to have run across the complex to a second-floor apartment and forced his way in, Morales said.
Once inside, witnesses say Cunningham attacked a 20-year-old man who fought back with a baseball bat.
“When that victim was unable to go on, his wife picked up the baseball bat and began striking him, too,” Morales said.
At that point, Cunningham either fell or jumped off a balcony, Morales said.
An off-duty Phoenix police officer who lives at the complex and another officer took Cunningham into custody after subduing him with a stun gun, Morales said.
The third victim, the 20-year-old man, was in critical condition Wednesday morning at Maricopa Medical Center with multiple stab wounds, Morales said.
Detectives haven’t spoken with Cunningham yet because of his condition, but he was apparently fired about 11 a.m. Tuesday from his job at a nearby restaurant.
“According to employees, he was acting very bizarrely, like he was possibly on drugs or having some other malfunction,” Morales said. “Apparently he said something bizarre that resulted in him being fired.”
Many of the restaurant’s other employees also live in the complex where the attacks occurred, Morales said. Attempts are being made to determine if the second or third victims worked with or knew Cunningham.
“It was quite a horrific situation,” Morales said. “I spoke with some of our patrol officers, and they said the complex was one of the nicest in Ahwatukee, that it’s very quiet there and they rarely have any problems.”
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