A former mayor was recently attacked and stabbed outside a marijuana dispensary in Massachusetts, with the incident captured on video.
Will Flanagan, who served as the mayor of Fall River, was found with a stab wound to his neck on Monday evening and was taken to a nearby hospital in critical, yet stable, condition.
Surveillance footage shows the attacker, Corey Gonzalez, approaching Flanagan from behind and making jarring movements toward his neck and head. Reported by WCVB, Flanagan raised his hands to shield himself but fell to the ground as Gonzalez fled the scene, leaving him bleeding on the sidewalk.
Despite his injuries, Flanagan managed to get up and make his way to a nearby apartment complex, where stunned witnesses gathered. “I saw a man mumbling something, and then someone came out and tackled him, stabbing him in the face and neck. He was bleeding everywhere,” remarked witness Karen Kanzi.
Gonzalez, 31, was arrested the following day in connection with the incident outside the Cosmopolitan Dispensary, which Flanagan owns. The motive remains unknown, and it’s unclear if there was any prior relationship between the two.
In addition to the stabbing charge, Gonzalez faces four counts of assault and battery against a police officer after he allegedly attacked the officer who apprehended him.
Gonzalez has a lengthy criminal record and was reported to be homeless, based on court documents from 2024. In one notable incident, he allegedly threatened both his mother and sister. His last known address was in Bristol County Jail.
He was taken into custody around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. Currently, he is being held without bail and is scheduled for a court appearance after a mental health evaluation.
Flanagan, who made history as the youngest mayor of Fall River when he took office at just 29 years old in 2009, was previously recalled by voters in 2014 after allegedly brandishing a gun at a political foe.
Despite the incident, Flanagan maintained a lively presence on social media, promoting his dispensary, which opened in July 2022. Just before the attack, he shared a video of himself singing Milli Vanilli’s “Blame It on the Rain” while a storm swept through the area, inviting customers to stay inside the shop.
Though Flanagan has resumed his law career, he has also appeared in a few local films, including a recent horror project.
