Four girls were stabbed in a Massachusetts movie theater and the crime appears to be connected to another stabbing at a restaurant, police say

CNN
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A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of stabbing four girls, ages 9 to 17, at a Massachusetts movie theater before another stabbing apparently related to the stabbing at a fast-food restaurant, authorities said Saturday.

The two attacks occurred about an hour apart in different cities, and “it appears the crimes are related,” Braintree police said.

According to a Braintree Police press release, the four girls were stabbed without warning at an AMC movie theater in Braintree around 6 p.m. Saturday.

“Without saying anything and without warning, he suddenly attacked the four young women and stabbed them. The attack seemed to be unprovoked,” police said. “After the attack, the man ran out of the cinema and drove away in a vehicle.”

The girls were taken to Boston hospitals for treatment of their injuries. All four victims are expected to survive, authorities said.

Police determined the attacker left the theater in what appeared to be a black SUV, and video footage allowed authorities to capture the license plate, the news release said. A vehicle matching the description was “allegedly involved in a similar robbery in Plymouth,” which is about a 30-minute drive south of Braintree, police said.

About an hour after the first attack, police were called to a stabbing at a McDonald's in Plymouth, according to a Massachusetts State Police press release. A 21-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man were stabbed and taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

“Preliminary investigation indicates a likely connection to a previous incident at a Braintree movie theater in which four juveniles sustained non-life-threatening injuries,” state police said.

Massachusetts State Police pursued the vehicle, which police said resulted in a crash in Sandwich, about a 25-minute drive south of Plymouth.

The suspect, whose identity has not yet been determined, is being treated at an area hospital, state police said. The investigation by state and local police is “active and ongoing,” the press release said.

An AMC employee told CNN that the theater was cordoned off shortly after the incident.