Man Attacks Married Couple With Machete at Nashville, TN, Self-Storage Facility

A married couple was attacked by a man with a machete on Sunday at a Public Storage Inc. facility in Nashville, Tenn. Kevin Craft, 55, and his wife, Leanne, 50, were in the self-storage management office at 800 5th Ave. S. when suspect Kelvin Edwards, 35, walked in and cut them both. Police were notified of the incident at 2:47 p.m. and had Edwards in custody three minutes later, according to a source.

Six officers applied multiple tourniquets at the scene to try to control the Crafts’ bleeding. The couple was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where they are listed in critical condition. It isn’t clear from news reports if the pair are facility employees or customers.

Edwards, who is homeless, told police he didn’t know the Crafts but stabbed them to demonstrate his anger about shutdowns related to the coronavirus and being denied entrance to the Nashville Rescue Mission. Prior to the attack, mission officials had asked him to get a COVID-19 test before he could receive a bed, a source reported.

“Yes, all guests who come back to stay at the mission, who have not had a COVID test, are asked to get one,” a mission representative told news station Fox 17. “They can return with the slip from the health department and will be given a bed ticket. [Edwards] was asked to get a test on Monday and return here to get that bed ticket. He has been a guest of ours previously.”

Investigators believe Edwards stored the machete in “a bin” at the self-storage facility. After allegedly attacking the Crafts, he reportedly walked out of the facility, threw the blade down in the street, and stood with his hands up as he heard a police siren.

Edwards has been charged with two counts of attempted murder. In 2017, he was convicted of felony vandalism. While in jail, he spat on two sheriff’s deputies and was convicted on two counts of assault, according to a source.

Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage is a self-storage real estate investment trust and third-party management firm. It has interests in 2,492 self-storage facilities in 38 states, with approximately 170 million net rentable square feet. It holds a 35 percent interest in Shurgard Self Storage SA, which has 234 facilities in seven European countries, with approximately 13 million net rentable square feet.

Sources:
WNKY, Two Wounded in Nashville Machete Attack
WSMV, Man Charged With Attempted Murder After Attacking Couple With Machete
Fox 17, Suspect in Machete Attack Was Asked to Get COVID Test Before Returning to Homeless Shelter
Your Content, Homeless Maniac Goes on Machete Rampage Near Downtown Nashville, Multiple Injuries: Report