Saturday’s events in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, shook the entire community. Spencer Pearson, an 18-year-old former student and football player at Ponte Vedra High School, targeted his ex-girlfriend Madison Schemitz and her mother, Jackie Roge. Thankfully, a bystander named Kennedy Armstrong stepped in, saving the woman from an attempted double murder.
Schemitz had recently ended her relationship with Pearson. Her mother was actively pursuing a restraining order due to Pearson’s menacing behavior. The mother and daughter were out to eat at a nearby restaurant when they encountered Pearson in the parking lot. They tried to take off once they noticed him, but Pearson blocked their path and began viciously stabbing the women.
Kennedy Armstrong, a 23-year-old man and James Stepp were in a car nearby when they heard the screams and raced over. Armstrong bravely intervened, knocking Pearson off the now bloodied Schemitz. Pearson responded, attacking Armstrong and stabbing him near the arm, resulting in severe tendon damage. In an attempt to kill himself, Pearson sliced his neck, and the attack came to an abrupt end.
Stepp described the incidnet, “Right when we got out of the car, we heard a woman screaming and so we rushed over to see what the situation was,” he said. “The one guy was mounted over the other woman, and it was from the backside, so my buddy tackled him off, got him off of them.”
All four involved, Schemitz, Pearson, Armstrong and Roge were rushed to a local hospital. Schemitz suffered dire wounds to her spine, temporarily paralyzing her. She has already gone through numerous surgeries and remains in the hospital in critical condition. Roge and Armstrong were treated for wounds as well. The community has unified, creating GoFundMe accounts to raise over $80,000 to support Schemitz and her family with medical costs and other expenses.
The event speaks volumes, showing courage and quick thinking in the face of danger. Armstrong’s heroic deed saved Schemitz’s life and revealed the power of community support. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s office hopes to charge Pearson with attempted murder once he survives his self-inflicted injury.