A routine grocery run turned violent at the Publix on Tamiami Trail in Punta Gorda on October 10, when a 70-year-old man was slashed across the face with a box cutter in what police describe as a random attack. The victim, David Terry, told officers he initially thought he’d been punched in the left cheek, then turned to see Ramsey Thomas Lyons holding the blade. Terry’s laceration ran four to six inches from his cheek through his jawline and onto his neck, and he also suffered a minor chest wound. He was treated at Fawcett Hospital with numerous stitches.
According to the Punta Gorda Police Department, Lyons told officers he had been thinking about killing someone for two days and entered the store with that intent. He said he chose Terry at random because the victim looked like he was from the 1960s, a comment Lyons clarified meant he wanted to murder him. Lyons also stated he has an undiagnosed mental illness. He was arrested and booked into Charlotte County Jail on one count of aggravated battery on a person 65 or older, a charge that reflects Florida’s enhanced penalties for crimes against seniors. Terry is pursuing criminal charges.
For Suncoast residents, especially retirees and snowbirds who shop these same stores daily, stories like this raise real questions about safety in everyday places and about how our community supports mental health. The Punta Gorda Police Department continues to investigate, and we’ll bring you updates as they come. What would make you feel safer while shopping in our local stores? Let us know in the comments or give us a call on the air.
