A suspect dressed like pirate and armed with two knives allegedly threatened children at Walmart in Bushnell.
Steven Michael Hanlon, 45, who lives in the Blueberry Hill RV Park in Bushnell, is facing four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following the incident which occurred Saturday afternoon, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
The group of children, ranging in age from 14-12, were walking in the parking lot when Hanlon swerved toward them and threw down his bicycle. He pulled a knife and began running at the children, who also live at the Blueberry Hill RV Park. An adult driving a car saw what was happening, stopped and yelled at Hanlon.
Law enforcement was called and the caller described Hanlon, telling a dispatcher he “looks like a pirate.”
A deputy who is familiar with Hanlon found him in a nearby McDonald’s parking lot. Hanlon was in possession of two knives in his “makeshift overall suspenders.”
When the children were interviewed by deputies, one of the children said his friend had called Hanlon a “faggot,” which apparently enraged him.
A criminal history check revealed that Hanlon was convicted in 1999 of false imprisonment and battery in Georgia.
He was taken into custody and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center.
