An angry mob has killed a 38-year-old man after he stabbed five people, of which four died in Igembe North Sub-county in Meru County.

According to police, the suspect, identified as Jeremiah Kabura, who was reportedly suffering from a mental illness, had fled from his father’s home on Saturday morning after experiencing an episode.

He left his residence with a machete and began attacking people as he walked toward the local shopping center.

“He attacked his victims while walking towards the shopping centre by slashing them and inflicting them with deep wounds on the head and both legs,” a police report read.

Police say the first victim, 36-year-old Geoffrey Muriki Maore, was found dead in the Luma area; the second victim, 70-year-old Seberia Mukomaitha, was discovered approximately 500 meters from Maore’s body, close to her home, with a deep cut wound.

Further, the third victim, 35-year-old Regina Micubu, was found almost 800 meters from Mukomaitha, also with multiple deep cuts, while the fourth victim, David Ezekiel, was discovered alive but in critical condition.

He was rushed to Maua General Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Kabura’s rampage came to an end when he attempted to attack another individual near a water point.

“The assailant was accosted by members of the public as he attempted to attack one of them near a water point and subjected to mob injustice by use of stones and other crude weapons.”

Police documented the scenes of the attacks, and the bodies were transported to Maua General Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy.