CHICAGO, IL – A terrifying assault occurred at a laundromat on the Northwest Side of Chicago when a man wearing a clown mask repeatedly stabbed a woman. The victim, 37-year-old Erika Gierczak, is still in the hospital recovering from her severe wounds.
The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. Friday night at a laundromat located on the 5800-block of West Montrose Avenue. Gierczak reported that the attacker entered the premises casually, wearing what she described as a clown mask, before launching the violent assault. She recounts being stabbed multiple times with a large knife without any chance to escape.
Despite being a regular at the laundromat, Gierczak had never previously felt unsafe. Suffering eight stab wounds that resulted in multiple stitches, Gierczak had to remain hospitalized for several nights. However, she is expected to recover from this horrific physical attack.
The unforeseen violence has had traumatic mental implications for Gierczak as well. She admits to instinctively re-experiencing the assault when someone approaches her too quickly.
Fellow customers at the laundromat expressed their shock and fear after learning about the incident, worried for their own safety in the wake of the seemingly random attack. Police are still investigating the case, and no arrests have been made yet.