DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A man convicted of a series of unprovoked stabbing attacks that wounded three, including a 7-year-old, in Parker last year was sentenced in a Douglas County courtroom on Monday.
Luke Barkhaus, 33, was sentenced to 40 years in prison, according to a spokesperson for the 23rd Judicial District. Additional details about the sentence were not immediately available.
Barkhaus was convicted on two counts of first-degree assault causing serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon and one count of felony child abuse in connection with the Jan. 26, 2025, attacks in Parker.
Prosecutors said Barkhaus stabbed and wounded a restaurant employee, attacked another random victim about an hour later, and then slashed a child in the head inside a Walmart.
One victim was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and the child was expected to recover.
Detectives tracked the 33-year-old to Aurora and arrested him two days later.
Barkhaus has an extensive criminal history, including a history of substance abuse and mental health issues.
Parker Police Chief Jim Tsurapas credited the investigators and deputies who worked to apprehend and identify Barkhaus.
“These senseless and unprovoked attacks placed innocent people, including a child, in grave danger,” Tsurapas said in a news release. “This sentence holds Barkhaus accountable and ensures he can no longer threaten the safety of our community.”
