A 23-year-old Guelph man has been arrested after nearly a dozen people were threatened with a butcher knife on Monday evening.
Police say Kyle Barlow has been charged with assault with a weapon, uttering threats, assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
The first incident reportedly happened around 7:30 p.m.
Guelph Police Sgt. Doug Pflug says "Two males were standing out from of St. Peter's School on Westwood Road waiting for friends when an enraged male came running up to them and he had a butcher knife in his hand and he threatened both males."
One victim ran, while the other froze and the suspect threatened him at close range. The second victim then ran and called 911.
According to police, Barlow then reportedly became enraged, running around and threatening nine more victims ranging in age from eight-years-old to 45-years-old.
The suspect was not known to any of the victims. He was arrested without incident. According to police when they got to the scene and located the suspect he dropped the weapon and gave up peacefully.
John Norton witnessed some of the events that happened near his townhouse complex on Monday night, and says the suspect was screaming and even chasing children.
"I looked out my back window and I seen him chasing after the girls and then I went out to see what was going on and he was trying to break into their house," Norton says.
Residents in the neighbourhood are thankful no one was hurt amid all the chaos.
It remains unclear what may have agitated Barlow, but according to Randy Dobson it may have been "Just people walking their dogs. I guess the dogs were barking at him and that was enough to set him off."
