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SALT LAKE CITY — A man stabbed two people at the Smith's Marketplace grocery store in downtown Salt Lake City before being subdued by a bystander.

The attack took place around 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the store at 455 S. 500 East.

According to a witness, it appears one man was stabbed in the side of the head and another was stabbed in the stomach. The exact condition of the victims is unknown, but police believe the injuries are very serious and possibly critical.

Police say a bystander with a concealed carry permit witnessed the attack and stepped in to keep it from escalating.

"(The bystander) was suspicious of what might be going on, and when he saw the stabbing, he just drew his pistol and challenged the individual," which caused the alleged attacker to lie down on the ground, said Salt Lake City Police Lt. Brian Purvis.

By the time police officers arrived on the scene, the man was subdued and is now in custody.

The attacker apparently bought the knife inside the store. Police are going over surveillance videos to determine what else the man may have done before the attack.

Police have not yet interviewed the man in custody, who they say is in his 30s, and have been unable to speak to the victims while they are being treated for their injuries.

Police say there is no apparent motive for the attack at this time.

"Just going on what the witnesses said, it appears to be random," Purvis said.

Both victims are being treated at the hospital. Their identities have not been released, but police say they were both males, one in his 40s and one in his 30s.

"This was a really volatile situation that could have gotten even worse," Purvis said. "(The bystander) was definitely in the right place at the right time."

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