Stabbing of giant eagle in North Olmsted

Jessica Dill, Danielle Langenfeld, Talia Naquin, Laura Morrison, Celeste Houmard and Justin Dennis

45 mins ago

NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WJW) – A woman suspected of stabbing and killing a 3-year-old boy outside a local grocery store was given a $1 million bail in court Tuesday afternoon.

The child and his mother were attacked and stabbed in front of the Giant Eagle on Lorain Road in North Olmsted.

Officials said that on Monday, June 3, at around 3 p.m., a mother and her son had just finished shopping and were apparently on their way back to their vehicle when a woman dressed all in black rushed up to them with a kitchen knife and stabbed both of them.

Several shoppers called 911. Officers administered first aid and quickly arrested 32-year-old Bionca Ellis of Cleveland, who was found walking toward Dover Center Road and reportedly still holding the gun.

Ellis was issued a video arraignment from jail on Tuesday afternoon, with bail set at $1 million. Police say she was charged with murder.

The victims were taken to St. John Medical Center in Westlake.

On Tuesday morning, the Cuyahoga County Coroner confirmed that 3-year-old Julian Wood of North Olmsted had died in the hospital. The child’s mother, 38-year-old Margot Wood, “was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to make a full recovery,” police said.

Police Detective Sergeant Matt Beck acknowledged later Tuesday that while Margot will physically recover, the emotional trauma will likely haunt her “for the rest of her life.”

Police said the attack appeared to be random and that they did not believe the victims had interacted with each other prior to the incident.

Beck said Ellis was seen on surveillance video retrieving the knife from a nearby Volunteers of America store. The cameras showed her walking into the supermarket, where she passed Margot and Julian Wood, then following them back to her car with the knife in her hand.

Julian Wood was stabbed in the face and back and Margot was stabbed in the shoulder – all within five seconds, Beck said. Ellis then walked away, he said.

Ellis, who still had the knife on her person, did not resist arrest, Beck said. She refused to speak to North Olmsted investigators on Tuesday and “retained an attorney instead,” Beck said.

Ellis has no history of violent crimes. She was previously arrested in Florida for a nonviolent crime. In North Olmsted, she was arrested in 2023 for a petty theft at a Walmart, for which she pleaded guilty and was released on probation, Beck said.

She was arrested and arraigned last week for violating her probation, he said. On the Monday before the attack, she was at the police station and inquired about abandoned property, Beck said.

North Olmsted Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones released an updated statement late Tuesday morning:

First of all, I would like to express my deepest and sincere condolences to the family of the three-year-old boy who sadly passed away yesterday after being stabbed to death in a random attack at the Giant Eagle supermarket in North Olmsted.

This has been a terrible tragedy for our entire community. As the Mayor of North Olmsted and a mother myself, I cannot imagine what this family is going through. To lose their youngest child in such a violent and senseless way is absolutely heartbreaking. I know all the residents of North Olmsted join me in their deep grief.

We all deeply mourn their loss and I ask everyone to keep them in their thoughts and prayers. Our police department continues its ongoing investigation into the crime as we seek to heal the wounds and move forward. I commend all of our law enforcement personnel for their compassion and quick response in the wake of this situation.

The City will provide grief counseling to all of our employees who require these services. The safety of all of our citizens remains my administration’s highest priority.

The police station is directly opposite the Giant Eagle.

Many people in the region were understandably shocked on Monday after the attack.

“It’s just crazy,” said buyer Ben Hymes. “The company is going downhill fast.”

“You can’t really trust anyone,” said buyer Randy Adams. “And if you look the wrong person in the eye, you never know if they’re going to do something physical.”

Beck, who has worked with the North Olmsted Police Department for 17 years, said officers take residents’ safety seriously – but can’t be everywhere at once.

“I would urge people to keep a cool head and be aware of their surroundings. If something doesn’t look right, call the police. We’ll come and investigate, no problem,” he said.

This Giant Eagle is the same store where a murder-suicide occurred less than a year ago involving a divorced couple.

The Giant Eagle store reopened Tuesday morning.

A Giant Eagle spokesperson issued a statement to FOX 8 on Tuesday:

We were deeply shocked to learn of the death of the young victim of this senseless act of violence yesterday. Our thoughts are with the child, his mother and their families at this unimaginably difficult time.

We thank the North Olmsted Mayor’s Office and community first responders for their tireless efforts. We are offering consultation services to our store teams and stand ready to support our North Olmsted neighbors where we can.

A preliminary hearing for Ellis has been scheduled for Monday, June 10, at 10:30 a.m.