In a shocking morning episode in Duluth, police rushed to the scene on Woodland Ave where an elderly man fell victim to a brutal assault, an incident that is now spiraling into a potential attempted murder case.

The call came in just shy of 9 a.m. on Thursday, officers descended on the 1600 block to find an 81-year-old male, battered and with severe injuries to his head in the bathroom, the Duluth Police Department reported, while the suspect, a 43-year-old male, had already fled on foot igniting a manhunt. Officers promptly cordoned off nearby streets, and the suspect was cornered and handcuffed on the junction of Wallace Avenue and 7th Street, detained smoothly without further incident.

The victim's current medical state hangs in the balance—hospitalized, yet cloaked in uncertainty, as the local hospital has yet to release any statements on his condition. As of now, the connection, if any, between the alleged assaulter and the injured octogenarian remains a mystery; neither a motive nor a prior relationship has been established, further deepening the intrigue surrounding the case.

In the aftermath of the assault, the community remains on edge, while authorities are holding back on releasing additional details given the sensitivity and active nature of their investigation; the Duluth Police Department's official statement has made it clear that no further information will be forthcoming at this juncture as they painstakingly piece together the events that led up to this harrowing incident.