77-Year-Old 'Innocent Bystander' Dies After Being Stabbed During Mask Dispute In Michigan

An elderly man from Lansing, Mich. died almost a month after he was stabbed several times during a dispute that broke out at a local store over face masks. The suspect was fatally shot by a sheriff deputy.

John Duncan III, referred to as an "innocent bystander" by the Quality Dairy store, was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition after he was stabbed by another customer on July 14. The 77-year-old man succumbed to injuries Saturday, Aug. 8.

"The assailant had been asked by a staff member to wear a mask in the store and he refused. He then attacked the other gentleman. At no point did the injured gentleman address the assailant in any way. Contrary to some reporting, the injured man did not confront the assailant, follow him outside or even speak to him," the store said.

The suspect, Sean Ruis, fled the store before the police were called in. Half an hour later, a deputy stopped Ruis and fired multiple rounds when the suspect walked toward the deputy holding two knives. Ruis succumbed to injuries during a surgery.

The incident took place just a day after stricter mask rules went into effect in the state. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the mask-wearing practice has become unnecessarily political.

"I cannot ever pretend that I understand someone who would become murderous over wearing a piece of cloth your face, but what I can say is that violence is never the solution. We can disagree on a lot of things but we all have to recognize this is one simple task [we can do] for the greater good, for our individual good, that will make a huge difference," Whitmer said.