Costello was found with multiple stabbing wounds.
By Raif Karerat
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Oklahoma’s labor commissioner is dead and his son has been arrested, after a stabbing at an Oklahoma City restaurant.
Police found Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Mark Costello sitting in a vehicle in the restaurant parking lot, suffering from multiple stab wounds, including at least one to the head. Costello was taken to a hospital, where he died.
His 26-year-old son, Christian Costello, was taken into custody at the scene of the stabbing, according to police. He was booked a complaint of murder in the first degree, authorities said.
In a statement released Monday, the Costello family said, “Our son, Christian Costello, has experienced many difficulties over the past several years,†the family said in the statement. “Christian, like thousands of Oklahomans, struggles with a mental health disease and like many families we did our best to support him. Mark was committed to being there for his son and provided whatever help he could as a father.â€
At Monday morning news conference, Oklahoma City Police Capt. Paco Balderrama told reporters that Mark Costello and Christian Costello had agreed to meet at the restaurant on Sunday. The meeting turned violent, and Christian Costello pulled out a knife, disclosed the Washington Post.
NBC News reported that Costello tried to flee, but was methodically stalked by his son and accosted.
“It was very cold, you know, the way he was walking after the victim,” Patrick Spencer, who was driving by at the time, told NBC affiliate KFOR. There was never any rush to the entire thing.”
Spencer says it ended when a witness in the parking lot rammed the suspect with his vehicle, knocking him to the ground. Several people then tackled him and kicked the knife away.
“They tied him up with belts and they were able to keep him under wraps until police got there.†Spencer recalled.