Man sentenced for stabbing at Dollar Tree in Mill Creek

In a disturbing incident, Joshua Pence, a 30-year-old from Everett, was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison after he stabbed an 11-year-old boy at a Mill Creek Dollar Tree. The confrontation arose when the boy called Pence an 'NPC,' a term commonly used in video games to denote a non-playable character, often used as an insult. Enraged, Pence pursued the boy into the store, where he used a 5-inch knife to stab the child in the side. The victim cried for help, and witnesses reported immediate chaos, with Pence swinging the knife at another boy before fleeing the scene. The injured boy was hospitalized with severe injuries, including a partially collapsed lung.

Pence pleaded guilty to first-degree assault of a child and third-degree assault, with his declining mental health being a significant factor in the court's considerations. His parents expressed hope that he could receive mental health treatment while incarcerated. This case raises critical discussions about the intersection of mental health and violence, especially in rapidly escalating confrontations.