Dad stabbed in random attack on family

PORTER, N.Y. (WIVB) - In Niagara County, Police arrested a man they say randomly attacked a family in the town of Porter.

The most unnerving part is that it seems totally random. There is no connection between the suspect and this family, but police say they had him in custody within minutes.

Shawn Zimmerman said, "Gimme some privacy. What the **** is wrong with y'all."

He swore at photographers and asked for privacy as 30-year-old Shawn Zimmerman of Newfane was taken into court. Just after 6 a.m. Wednesday morning , State Police say he knocked on the door of a house surrounded by cornfields on Youngstown-Lockport Road in Porter.

Capt. Craig Hanesworth of the NYS Police said, "I believe he indicated he needed to use the phone."

A woman in the house brought him the phone, and then he apparently pushed his way in and said he had a gun.

"Right now we have no motive. It's not clear why the subject chose this house, picked this house to go into, terrorize this family," said Capt. Hanesworth.

One of two teen-aged daughters in the house called 911 on a cell phone. Police then talked to Zimmerman by phone.

Capt. Hanesworth said, "At which time, he stated that if the officers came into the residence that he was going to kill the occupants."

Then as he talked to police through an upstairs window, he got into a struggle with the man of the house and stabbed him in the chest, and the stomach with a butcher knife.

"It's not believed to be life-threatening injuries, that he sustained," said Capt. Hanesworth.

Amber Green said, "I think it's scary, especially with little ones. And you think someone could just knock on your door, come in and stab you...scary."

Shawn Zimmerman had just been released from jail three months ago on a burglary charge. He is now held without bail facing what would be his third felony conviction on assault, burglary and criminal possession of a weapon.