Inset: Luke Barkhaus (23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office). Background: The Colorado Walmart where Luke Barkhaus randomly attacked a 7-year-old boy while he was looking for a Push Pop (Google Maps).
A Colorado man is headed to prison after going on a random stabbing rampage that left three people injured, including a 7-year-old boy who was slashed on the back of the head at a Walmart.
Luke Barkhaus, 33, was sentenced this week to 40 years in prison for the January 2025 attacks, which he carried out “for the rush” and “to see what it was like” to plunge a knife into someone, according to prosecutors.
“This malevolent menace said that he stabbed those innocent victims because he wanted to see what it was like to do it,” District Attorney George Brauchler, of the 23rd Judicial District, said in a statement Monday.
“There is no fixing someone like this,” Brauchler added. “There is only protecting our community from him. This is why we build prisons.”
An arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime describes how Barkhaus, who pleaded guilty to felony child abuse and two counts of first-degree assault, stabbed a worker inside a Dollar Tree, the child inside the Walmart and an employee at a restaurant in three separate attacks.
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“According to Parker Police, Barkhaus first stabbed a restaurant employee, and approximately an hour later attacked another random victim inside a store,” the DA’s office says in a press release. “In a third attack, Barkhaus slashed a child in the head inside a Walmart.”
Police said the child was at the Walmart with a sibling and their mother.
“They were at Walmart to buy toys,” the affidavit says. “[The mom] stated she was shopping around inside of the store for approximately 30 minutes and then proceeded toward the westside checkout.”
While near the checkout area, the mom told the kids they “could pick out candy nearby,” according to the affidavit. “Out of nowhere [the 7-year-old victim] told her, ‘This man just punched me,’ referring to an unidentified male suspect that was running away from them.”
The mom said her son “started bleeding from the side of his head” and she screamed out, “My son has just been stabbed!”
According to local ABC affiliate KMGH, prosecutors said during a January 2025 court hearing that when asked why he targeted the boy and other victims, Barkhaus said, “For the rush.”
He claimed he “would have continued to do it” to others if cops had not arrested him, KMGH reports.
In police interviews, the boy targeted at Walmart recounted how Barkhaus sneaked up behind him and slashed him from behind without warning.
“He heard [Barkhaus’] footsteps approach him when he was picking out candy,” the affidavit says. “[The boy] stated he was looking for a ‘Push Pop.'”
Prosecutors said Barkhaus has an extensive criminal history and a history of substance abuse and mental health issues. “[Barkhaus]Â blamed his actions on years of huffing,” Brauchler said in his statement Monday.
All of Barkhaus’ victims recovered from their injuries.
The post Little boy looking for a Push Pop during Walmart run with mom gets stabbed in the head by random man who did it to ‘see what it was like’ first appeared on Law & Crime.
