A 94-year-old man, Walter Shumlich, was assaulted by a stranger while riding his scooter to church in Stuart, Florida. The incident occurred on May 31 at approximately 8:30 a.m. along Southeast Palm Beach Road. Shumlich, who is a regular churchgoer, was on his way to St. Joseph Catholic Church when the unprovoked attack happened.

Details of the Incident

Shumlich recounted that as he rode his scooter down the sidewalk, he noticed a man approaching on a bicycle. The man, appearing to be in his 30s, was yelling and seemed unwell. Despite trying to avoid a confrontation by moving to the side, Shumlich was punched in the face, resulting in a fractured nose and two black eyes.

After the attack, the assailant continued riding but stopped a few feet away to stare at Shumlich, who then managed to clean the blood from his face before continuing to church. At St. Joseph Catholic Church, a priest and a nun assisted him, and later his family took him to the hospital for treatment.

Community and Family Response

Shumlich’s family has filed a police report with the Stuart Police Department, who are currently investigating the incident. The family hopes the attacker will be caught to prevent further incidents. Despite the attack, Shumlich expressed forgiveness towards his assailant and hopes he receives the help he needs.

Shumlich remains steadfast in his faith, stating he will continue attending church every Sunday. His daughter has arranged for someone to accompany him on future trips to ensure his safety.

The Stuart Police Department is seeking any witnesses or individuals with information about the suspect to come forward. They are also requesting surveillance footage from the area around the time of the incident.

Original reporting: WPBF West Palm Beach — read the source article.