BRAINTREE, Mass. (WWLP) — A man is in custody after allegedly stabbing multiple girls in a Massachusetts movie theater Saturday night.
Massachusetts State Police said the man, who has not yet been identified, entered an AMC movie theater in Braintree, about 14 miles south of Boston, Saturday evening and bypassed the ticket counter. Authorities told reporters the man then entered a theater and stabbed four girls, ranging in age from 9 years old to 17, "without any warning."
The attack is believed to be unprovoked.
All four girls were taken to the hospital for their injuries. An update on their conditions was not immediately available Sunday.
Roughly an hour after the alleged stabbings, Massachusetts State Police say they were called to a reported stabbing at a McDonald's in nearby Plymouth, about 30 miles south of Braintree.
A 21-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man were taken to a local hospital with apparent stab wounds. Both were said to have non-life threatening injuries.
Police said a vehicle matching the description of the suspect in the McDonald's incident was spotted about 20 miles away in Sandwich. The man allegedly attempted to flee police, but crashed the vehicle and was taken into custody, state police explained.
The suspect was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
According to state police, a preliminary investigation points to a "likely connection" between the incident at the Braintree AMC theater and the McDonald's stabbings.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Shortly after the man's arrest, Connecticut State Police issued a press release regarding a person found dead in Deep River, a town near the coast, about 30 miles east of New Haven and 120 miles from Braintree.
Few details were provided but Connecticut authorities noted "a suspect in this investigation has been taken into custody in the State of Massachusetts."
Sources told a Boston-area news outlet the incidents in Braintree, Plymouth, and Deep River are connected. Authorities have not provided any additional details or confirmed any connection.