PETERSBURG, Va. (AP) — A police dispatcher in Virginia said a man with a long knife stabbed three people inside a plasma donation center as nurses and patients hid inside a bathroom.

The dispatcher warned officers that witnesses said the man was attacking people with a machete Thursday in the Octapharma Plasma center in Petersburg, Virginia.

A first responder could be heard saying that one of the victims lost a finger.

Hospital officials said Thursday that one male was in critical condition, a female was in fair condition and a female was in good condition.

Irene Banks told WWBT that police praised her daughter, a manager there, for stopping the attacker before officers arrested him.

A Virginia prosecutor said the man could be charged at a minimum with malicious wounding.

(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox