Fundraiser started to help downtown stabbing victim, a longtime local restaurant manager

The 22-year-old Wichitan who was stabbed on Nov. 21 while walking on North St. Francis is out of the hospital and recovering from a wound that resulted in a lacerated liver.

Now, Autumn Haverkamp’s friends, family and co-workers are trying to raise money to help cover medical bills and other expenses while Haverkamp’s recovery continues.

A GoFundMe started late last week by Haverkamp’s family has so far raised more than $4,000, and Haverkamp’s employers at Public at the Brickyard said they’re contemplating some type of in-person fundraiser at the restaurant.

Employees there are still shaken by the incident, which happened around midnight when Haverkamp was heading back to the car after a night out with friends.

“I was horrified,” said Brooke Russell, Public’s co-owner. “I would never have expected something like this to happen to one of our employees. They’re all used to being downtown and are all very careful. It was a shocking phone call to get.”

Police have since arrested Jeffery Elam, 27, on unrelated warrants but say they think he was involved in the stabbing. A parolee, Elam has a 2015 conviction in Sedgwick County for aggravated indecent liberties with a child under the age of 14.

Haverkamp said that after work that night, a group of friends decided to go out in Old Town. Haverkamp joined, but hoping for an early night split off from the group.

As Haverkamp walked on North St. Francis in front of Nortons Brewing Company, a man approaching set off alarm bells.

“I got that gut feeling that I needed to watch this person,” Haverkamp said.

It all happened so fast. After being stabbed, Haverkamp started screaming, which caught the attention of members of the band Mad City Cruisers, who had just finished a set at nearby Barleycorn’s. As Haverkamp banged on the glass at Nortons, which was already closed, the band members rushed over to assist.

Haverkamp was taken to the hospital by ambulance and underwent emergency surgery. Doctors had to open Haverkamp’s abdomen to repair the liver.

Since then, Haverkamp has been overwhelmed by the support from friends and members of the community. But reading some of the online comments on news stories about the incident has been difficult.

“There’s a lot of victim blaming happening,” Haverkamp said. “There are lots of comments on Facebook news posts about it saying I should have had a weapon or shouldn’t have been alone. But no. He shouldn’t have stabbed me.”

Haverkamp, who has worked as a manager at Public at the Brickyard for two years, said the pain is now under control, though returning to work is impossible at this point.

But returning is definitely the plan.

“I love my job,” Haverkamp said. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to go back. But they’ve been very good to me. The entire community has been so good to me. It’s been very overwhelming.”