Orlando, FL – A violent stabbing outside the Mall at Millenia on Monday night was stopped in its tracks by an armed citizen who drew his concealed firearm, likely saving a woman’s life. Orlando Police say the suspect, 41-year-old Alinton John, fled the scene after being confronted at gunpoint. He was later arrested after a brief foot chase in Longwood.

At around 10:40 p.m. on July 8th, Orlando Police officers responded to reports of a stabbing in the parking lot near Water Garden Drive and Conroy Road—just outside the Mall at Millenia. When officers arrived, they found a woman suffering from multiple stab wounds to her back, stomach, neck, shoulder, thigh, and chest.

She was immediately transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center and is now in stable condition. The extent of her injuries was described by officers as “multiple lacerations” across her body, but thanks to fast medical response—and a brave armed witness—her life was spared.

Armed Citizen Steps In

According to police reports, witnesses described seeing the victim running from a red Tesla while being chased and repeatedly stabbed by a man later identified as John. One of the bystanders on scene—a legal concealed carrier—drew his pistol, chambered a round, and pointed it at the attacker. He ordered John to back away from the woman.

June 23, 2025: At an Orlando mall, an armed bystander successfully intervened to stop an act of domestic violence, drawing his gun on a knife-wielding man who was assaulting his ex-girlfriend. The assailant fled once the bystander confronted him. https://t.co/CKY3JulSW2

— Defensive Gun Use Tracker (@DailyDGU) June 27, 2025

The armed citizen’s actions worked. John stopped the assault and fled the scene in his Tesla. “The problem is with her, not you,” John reportedly told the armed witness before driving away. Multiple people at the scene immediately rendered aid to the victim while others called police.

Following a search, authorities tracked John down the next day at a Wawa gas station in Longwood. He attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended by law enforcement.

He was booked into the Seminole County Jail and is currently being held without bond. John is facing multiple charges, including attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and resisting arrest without violence.

Police believe John and the victim were previously in a dating relationship that had turned violent. They met in the mall parking lot shortly before the attack occurred. Surveillance footage confirms the two sitting in the Tesla before the woman suddenly fled the car, covered in stab wounds and screaming for help.

This incident serves as a sobering reminder of why the right to carry matters. A legally armed bystander didn’t go looking for a fight—he stopped one. His quick, courageous action likely prevented a homicide that night.

For law-abiding gun owners, it’s another real-world example of how being armed and trained can make all the difference. Police can’t be everywhere at once—but a good guy with a gun was in the right place, at the right time.