WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- A woman who stabbed and wounded four people in a busy Target store Monday afternoon was arrested when an off-duty sheriff's deputy pulled his gun and ordered the woman to the ground as screaming shoppers ran from the building, authorities said.
Layla Trawick started randomly stabbing people with a blade about the size of a kitchen knife at about 12:45 p.m., Los Angeles sheriff's Sgt. Josh Mankini said. The 35-year-old was arrested with the help of private security guards.
Several shoppers who saw the deputy pull out his weapon feared he was a gunman, adding to the sense of panic, Mankini said.
"There's a bunch of screaming going on," he said. "He orders her to the ground. She complies."
Three women and a man were stabbed and taken to area hospitals, Mankini said.
Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Frederick Stowers said one victim was in critical condition. Authorities did not immediately know the conditions of the others.
Mankini said the deputy, Clay Grant, is a five-year veteran of the department and was authorized to have a weapon in the store.
"Police officers can carry guns anywhere in the U.S.," he said. "I carry my gun everywhere. Most police officers carry a firearm all the time. We see a lot bad guys at work."
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