Man stabbed at North Austin LA Fitness gym after dispute over leg press, affidavit says
A 69-year-old man has been charged with aggravated assault after being accused of stabbing another man at a gym in North Austin.
An arrest affidavit alleges John David Makinson stabbed another gymgoer in the buttocks Friday morning at the LA Fitness at 2020 West Anderson Lane.
The victim told police he approached Makinson when he was using the leg press, and that Makinson replied he should use another machine. After Makinson went to the men's locker room, the victim used the leg press.
According to the victim's statement, Makinson next made contact with the victim when he exited the locker room, at which point he yelled obscenities at the victim, who ignored him. The victim told police he felt a warm sweaty feeling in his pants and realized Makinson had stabbed him in the buttocks with a blade similar to a pocketknife. The victim ran away from Makinson, who followed him into the bathroom and attempted to stab him two to three more times, according to the affidavit. The victim exited the bathroom and ran to the manager's desk at the front of the building.
The affidavit says people at the front desk gathered around the victim and protected him from Makinson, who was still holding the knife and yelling, "Who else wants some?" A bystander assuaged Makinson from further violence, and Makinson left the scene before police arrived.
The victim required a blood transfusion due to the severity of the stab wound, which measured 3 to 4 inches and penetrated the subcutaneous tissue, nearly to the muscle tissue.
Police found the weapon in a parking lot adjacent to the gym, near 1912 West Anderson Lane. It was not clear in the affidavit where Makinson was located, though he told arresting officers, "I just got out of prison for this," referencing a 2012 conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, for which he served 10 years in prison, according to court records.
Makinson is currently being held at the Travis County Jail on a $50,000 bond.
LA Fitness did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Man stabbed at North Austin LA Fitness gym over leg press dispute
