8-year-old boy stabbed in 'random and vicious' Spokane Valley attack

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. (AP) — An 8-year-old boy is recovering after a man entered a Spokane Valley store and allegedly stabbed him in what authorities are calling a "random and vicious" attack.

Officials say a 30-year-old man entered a HiCo store on Saturday and approached the victim, who had been playing with an iPad. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office says the man stabbed the victim multiple times before the boy's father was able to intervene.

The boy was bleeding from several wounds, including one to his neck.

Emergency personnel took the boy to an area hospital, where he was in stable condition.

The sheriff's office says the man appeared to have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol. According to KHQ, the man told police he was on DXM, which is short for dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant found in common cold medicines.

The man was charged with attempted first degree murder and first degree assault of a child. He's being held in the Spokane County Jail.