Braintree police say stabbing at Plaza wasn't a random attack

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

Braintree police said they are investigating a stabbing at the South Shore Plaza last Friday evening.

According to police, officers were initially sent to the area of Legal Seafood, but saw no evidence of a fight. A commotion near Milton’s drew the officers’ attention and as they approached, they found a 22-year-old Boston man with a laceration to his arm.

The victim was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injures, and was uncooperative with police when asked what happened, police said. However, some of the victim’s companions would speak with police, police said, and one said that two black males ran up behind the victim and assaulted him. Police said there did not appear to be any argument or confrontation beforehand.

Two witnesses who work at the mall said they heard a commotion near Kay Jewelers and observed a group of men fighting. One man then stumbled back towards them and was bleeding from the arm.

Police canvassed stores to see if the altercation was captured on surveillance. They do not believe the attack to be random.

"Most likely the victim and his attackers knew each other and our detectives will be looking at this angle as part of their investigation," Deputy Chief Russell Jenkins said.