PARKER, Colo. — A routine Walmart trip for candy and toys turned terrifying for a Colorado mother when her 7-year-old son was suddenly slashed in the back of the head by a stranger while he was looking for a Push Pop.
The boy had gone shopping at Walmart with his mother and sibling when an unidentified man approached him from behind.
According to an arrest affidavit, the family had been inside the store for roughly 30 minutes before heading toward the west-side checkout area.
The mother told her children they could pick out some candy nearby. The young boy was doing exactly that when the attack happened.
He was reportedly looking for a “Push Pop” when the man approached from behind and attacked him without warning.
Boy Suddenly Tells Mom He Was Attacked
The child’s mother said she was near her children when her son suddenly told her, “This man just punched me,” referring to a man who was already running away.
She quickly realized something much more serious had happened. The boy had begun bleeding from the side of his head, prompting his mother to scream for help.
“My son has just been stabbed!” she yelled, according to the affidavit.
During police interviews, the child was able to describe what happened. Investigators said he heard the suspect’s footsteps approaching while he was focused on picking out candy.
The boy did not appear to have any warning that he was about to be attacked. According to prosecutors, the suspect sneaked up behind the child and slashed him from behind before fleeing.
Prosecutors Say Attack Was Done ‘For the Rush’
The Walmart stabbing was not an isolated incident. Luke Barkhaus, 33, was accused of carrying out three separate random attacks in January 2025, targeting people who prosecutors said were strangers to him.
According to the district attorney’s office, Barkhaus first stabbed a restaurant employee. About an hour later, he attacked another random victim inside a Dollar Tree before eventually attacking the child at Walmart.
The attacks left three people injured, but all of the victims survived. During a court hearing, prosecutors said Barkhaus was asked why he had targeted the victims.
His reported answer was chilling.
“For the rush.”
Prosecutors also said Barkhaus told investigators he would have continued attacking other people if police had not arrested him. That statement became a major part of the prosecution’s argument as the case moved forward.
Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison
Barkhaus pleaded guilty to felony child abuse and two counts of first-degree assault in connection with the attacks. This week, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
District Attorney George Brauchler of the 23rd Judicial District said the sentence was necessary to protect the public from someone he described as a serious threat.
“This malevolent menace said that he stabbed those innocent victims because he wanted to see what it was like to do it,” Brauchler said in a statement.
“There is no fixing someone like this,” Brauchler added. “There is only protecting our community from him. This is why we build prisons.”
Prosecutors Point to Criminal History and Substance Abuse
Authorities said Barkhaus had an extensive criminal history along with a history involving substance abuse and mental health issues. Brauchler said Barkhaus blamed his actions on years of huffing.
However, prosecutors maintained that the attacks represented an unpredictable danger to people who had simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The victims included a restaurant employee, another store customer and the young Walmart shopper. Despite the violent nature of the attacks, authorities confirmed that all three victims recovered from their injuries.
For the boy’s family, the Walmart incident began as an ordinary shopping trip involving toys and candy. Instead, their 7-year-old son ended up injured after being targeted by a stranger for no apparent reason.
The case has now ended with Barkhaus facing decades behind bars, while the victims continue to move forward after surviving a series of completely random attacks.
What do you think about the 40-year sentence in this case? Share your thoughts in the comments.