71-Year-Old Charged in Brooklyn Center Stabbing as Separate Brooklyn, New York Case Fuels Public Confusion

BROOKLYN CENTER, MN. 

 A 71-year-old man has been formally charged in connection with a stabbing inside a Brooklyn Center grocery store, a case that drew early public confusion because of a separate, high-profile stabbing involving a similarly aged suspect in Brooklyn, New York.

According to charging documents and police statements, Edward Kenneth Collins, 71, of Minneapolis, is accused of cutting another man with a box cutter during an altercation inside Cub Foods at 3245 County Road 10 in Brooklyn Center. Brooklyn Center police were dispatched to the store on December 8, 2025, after a disturbance call was upgraded to a reported stabbing while officers were en route.

When police arrived, they found an adult male suffering from a chest wound and bleeding. The victim was transported to a hospital, where the injury required several sutures but was not believed to be life-threatening.

Investigators reviewed store surveillance video that, according to the criminal complaint, captured the moments leading up to the assault. The footage allegedly shows Collins being escorted away from the area by another individual before turning back, pushing that person, and advancing toward the victim. The complaint states that Collins then reached toward his waistband, produced a box cutter, and swung multiple times during a brief physical confrontation. Two cut marks were later observed on the victim’s jacket. Police recovered a box cutter at the scene, which was logged into evidence.

Collins was taken into custody and charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, a felony under Minnesota law. The case is pending in Hennepin County District Court.

A Separate Case in Brooklyn, New York

The Brooklyn Center case has, at times, been conflated online and in informal discussions with an unrelated and far more lethal incident that occurred in New York City in 2023.

In that case, Sylvester Harris, 71, was arrested by the New York City Police Department in connection with a double stabbing in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. Prosecutors allege that Harris fatally stabbed James Quigley, 60, and critically injured a 49-year-old woman during an attack on East 45th Street near Church Avenue in October 2023. Harris was later charged with murder and attempted murder following a multi-day investigation.

Authorities in Minnesota have emphasized that the Brooklyn Center grocery store stabbing is not connected in any way to the New York case, beyond the coincidental age of the suspects and the similarity of the word “Brooklyn” in the locations.

Broader Context in the North Metro

The Collins case comes amid a series of violent incidents in the north metro area that have heightened public concern, though most involve significantly younger suspects and very different circumstances.

In July 2025, a 20-year-old Brooklyn Center man, Logan Anthony Seitz, was charged with attempted first-degree murder after authorities say he followed a woman to Willow Lane Park and stabbed her repeatedly. In September 2025, Brooklyn Park police announced the arrest of a suspect in a separate life-threatening stabbing after releasing surveillance footage and receiving extensive public tips.

Law enforcement officials note that while these cases are often discussed together, each arises from distinct facts, motives, and legal standards.

Moving Forward

The Brooklyn Center grocery store stabbing underscores the challenges facing retail spaces and first responders when disputes escalate quickly into violence. Prosecutors will now need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Collins intentionally used a dangerous weapon during the altercation, while defense attorneys are expected to scrutinize the circumstances captured on surveillance video.

As the case proceeds through the courts, officials urge residents to rely on verified police and court records and to avoid conflating unrelated incidents across jurisdictions that share similar names but vastly different legal and factual realities.

MinneapoliMedia