A Cleveland woman, Bionca Ellis, 32, was indicted Wednesday on charges of murder, attempted murder, and several other offenses related to the stabbing death of a 3-year-old boy outside a grocery store in northeastern Ohio. The attack occurred outside a Giant Eagle in North Olmsted, where Ellis allegedly fatally stabbed Julian Wood and injured his 38-year-old mother.

Random Act of Violence

North Olmsted police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting the stabbing in the grocery store parking lot. “All information gathered at this time indicates this is a random act of violence, and the defendant and the victims never met,” stated police spokesperson Matt Beck. Julian was stabbed twice, and his mother sustained a single stab wound to the shoulder. Despite efforts by paramedics, Julian succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital. In addition to murder and attempted murder, Ellis faces charges of aggravated murder, endangering children, tampering with evidence, aggravated theft, and two counts of felonious assault, as per court records. She is currently held on a $1 million bond, with no defense attorney listed in court records.

Chilling Surveillance Footage

Surveillance video obtained by USA TODAY shows Ellis brandishing a knife and wandering around the shopping center before the attack. The footage captures Ellis striking the knife on a brick pillar moments before the incident. Prosecutors revealed that Ellis stole two knives from a thrift store next to the Giant Eagle around 3 p.m. on the day of the attack. She then spotted Julian and his mother leaving the grocery store, followed them, and “immediately stabbed the 3-year-old” in the shopping cart. When Julian’s mother tried to rescue him, Ellis stabbed her as well. Ellis was arrested at the scene without resistance.

Background and Community Response

Court records indicate that Ellis was in the process of being evicted from her subsidized Cleveland apartment before the attack. In March, real estate company K&D filed a complaint seeking her removal after she missed three rent payments. A Cleveland housing court magistrate granted the eviction in May. This was not Ellis’s first eviction; she had been removed from a different location in 2018.

Condolences and Campaign

In the wake of the tragedy, the community has rallied to support the Wood family. A GoFundMe campaign created by family and friends has raised over $190,000, far surpassing its initial $10,000 goal. “We are sick to our stomachs writing this,” the fundraising page states. “This was a random act of violence. She has devastated our family beyond words…she took something from us we can never get back.” The page expresses the family’s overwhelming sadness and urges others to hold their loved ones close. The indictment and ongoing investigation underscore the senseless nature of the attack, leaving a community in mourning and a family grappling with an unimaginable loss.