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“He’s a very strong kid,” Young boy recovering at hospital after being stabbed at Downtown LA Target

By FOX 11 Digital Team
Updated  November 19, 2022 5:18pm PST
Downtown LA
FOX 11

Nine-year-old recovering from Target stabbing, cousin speaks out

The cousin of a nine-year-old boy who was stabbed in a downtown Target store said the suspect threatened to kill the boy.

LOS ANGELES - A 9-year-old boy continues to recover at the hospital after he was stabbed by a homeless man inside a Target store in downtown LA Tuesday evening. 

The boy, identified by family as Brayden Medina, was stabbed in the back and shoulder. He was one of two people attacked; a 25-year-old woman was also stabbed by the suspect. 

The suspect, who is believed to be homeless, picked up a large kitchen knife in the store, threatened the little boy then stabbed him and the other woman, police said. 

"He was punched first then he was told that he would be killed, he was going to be stabbed and killed. I don’t even want to image that fear he felt once they told him," Brayden's cousin Lizzette Molina told FOX 11. 

9-year-old recovering after being stabbed inside Target by homeless man

A 9-year-old boy is recovering after he was stabbed inside a downtown LA target by a homeless man.

Following the stabbing spree, the suspect was shot and killed by the store’s security guard. Law enforcement officials called the incident an "unprovoked attack".

"I was told the homeless person just went crazy and very violent and went to the store. Sadly, there’s an issue that he was just able to grab the knife and go stab my cousin. It could have been anyone, it could have been worse," Molina added. "It’s really sad that we’re not safe in the world, and we don’t feel safe. And this just shows that this world is not as safe."  

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Target stabbing: 9-year-old among 2 stabbed in unprovoked attack by homeless man

Brayden and the other victim are not related nor did they know the suspect. The boy was at the store with his mother, who was not present at the time of the attack, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said.

Brayden was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. On Saturday morning, his cousin said he is doing better on a path to recovery. It is unknown when he will be released from the hospital.

"We both know that he's going to be really strong and that makes us feel a little better because we know he’s a strong kid," she stated. 

 Molina created a GoFundMe for Brayden; by Saturday more than $14,000 was raised.