Imagine serving your country for 23 years, stopping at a 99 Cents Only store to get a few birthday cards, and then randomly being stabbed to death by a 23-year-old black male. Oh, and you’re 82-years-old…[FAMILY REMEMBERS 82-YEAR-OLD VETERAN KILLED IN STABBING INSIDE HANFORD STORE: The family is asking for prayers at this time., ABC30.com, October 4, 2023]:
Loved ones are remembering a man who was stabbed to death in a random attack inside a store in Hanford on Tuesday.
82-year-old William Chartrand, or Bill, was rooted in his faith and loved his family and this country.
He was a veteran who served 23 years in the U.S. Navy.
On Tuesday afternoon, he stopped by the 99 Cents Only store in Hanford to pick up some birthday cards.
That’s when police say 23-year-old Ryan Washington Jr. walked up and stabbed him to death- in a random act of violence.
“It’s just completely unbelievable to us. The only solace we have is knowing that Bill was a strong Christian and knowing that he’s at home now with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” said Martin Devine, Chartrand’s stepson.
“There’s no understanding to this. There’s no words. It’s just pure evil.”
The suspect’s mother says her son had mental health issues- and had been working with a probation officer in Kings County.
She says he spent five days at a Fresno Mental Health facility in September.
“I saw my son losing himself for a whole month and cried out for him from this probation department,” explained Shayla.
Washington is now being held at the Kings County Jail on several felony charges.
Chartrand is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.
Devine says Chartrand never met a stranger and was friendly to everyone.
He was an appliance repairman who worked for Sears for many years and then started his own business.
But he was most proud of his time in the service when he worked on an A-3 Skywarrior Plane.
“He loved this country, he was a patriotic man, he was a strong Christian most of all, he loved my mother, always putting her first, and he loved his family,” expressed Devine.
The family is asking for prayers at this time.
The 99 Cents Only store remains closed until further notice.
Action News did reach out to Kings County regarding the suspect’s history with its probation department, but we have yet to hear back.
Chartrand was a white man, who lived a long, fruitful life, loving his legacy as a technician on the A-3 Skywarrior Plane. But make no mistake – his death at the hands of a 23-year-old black male was the sad finality of the world he helped create via his service.
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