SPOKANE, Wash. — The man who stabbed an 8-year-old boy at a Spokane Valley gas station in 2018 was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Bruce Landahl pleaded guilty to second degree attempted murder. He was sentenced on Tuesday to 160 months in prison with credit for time served, and 36 months of community custody along with various fees, fines and restitution.
Landahl entered a Spokane Valley HiCo store in November 2018 and grabbed the 8-year-old Jack Bush while he was sitting across from his father at a table, officials said. Landahl began stabbing the victim and Bush's father, Jacob, jumped up and punched Landahl in the face.
Court documents said Ladahl said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," to Jacob before the stabbing.
According to court documents, Jack had a puncture wound to the right of his neck, a puncture wound on the upper right back, a laceration on his right shoulder and a laceration on his right hand middle finger.
During an interview with detectives, Landahl said "he had taken 16 over-the-counter cough medicine pills that night because he has an addiction," court documents said.
A detective asked him what he was thinking at the time of the stabbing and he said, "I just wanted to bring good back," documents said.
Landahl later admitted "he was trying to kill the boy when he stabbed him" and said he felt "possessed," documents said.
