DeKalb police shoot a knife-wielding man accused of stabbing at a Toyota dealership on Sycamore Road, officials say

DEKALB, Ill. (WLS) – Illinois State Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting related to a stabbing attack Wednesday at a car dealership in DeKalb.

A man was shot by police just before 2 p.m. after he attacked several people with a knife at a Toyota dealership in the 1800 block of Sycamore Road, DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes told ABC7.

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The midday incident brought police officers from multiple departments to the DeKalb dealership, which became the crime scene.

Officials said a man who was inside the store produced a knife and began attacking people. At least one car dealership employee suffered minor injuries in the attack and was treated at the scene, police told ABC7.

The attacker was shot by police after he approached officers and refused to put down the knife, police said. He was flown to a hospital in Rockford and was later reported to be in good condition.

Tiffany Wells’ daughter works at the Bemis Toyota where the incident occurred.

“It’s really scary to think that you have no control over what can happen,” Wells said.

Minutes before police were called to the scene, Wells told ABC7 that her daughter had spoken to the suspect, who was described as being in his late 20s or early 30s, wearing all black and with his hair tied in a ponytail.

“Just some of the things he said were just weird, things about meeting celebrities and talking about some mental illnesses that didn’t make her feel good,” Wells said.

Wells said her daughter became restless and went outside. Moments later, police said, the man began attacking employees, stabbing or slashing one of them before officers arrived.

“They immediately ordered the person with the knife to drop the weapon, did not drop the weapon, turned toward them and walked toward them,” said DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas.

Officials said police then opened fire, wounding the man. Wells was on FaceTime with her daughter when shots were fired.

“She says, ‘Mom, people are running out of the building.’ Like what, what?” Wells said. “She says, ‘They run out of the building and one of them says ‘duck’ and they duck behind the cars.”

The identity of the accused attacker has not yet been released and he is expected to survive.

“Something like this is shocking to all of us,” said Mayor Barnes. “It actually happens. Obviously we see this all over the United States, but it’s not actually a feature of DeKalb.”

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Further information was not initially available.