A grocery store worker on Minnesota's North Shore is charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a customer in the neck on Saturday afternoon while in the midst of a mental health crisis.

The Cook County Attorney's Office has charged the suspect, a 32-year-old Grand Portage man, with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault in the attack at Cook County Co-Op in Grand Marais.

According to court documents filed on Monday, a deputy was called to the store following the stabbing, where he found the male victim on the floor being helped by his stepson.

The store manager told the deputy he first saw the victim "run toward him" and believed he was "chasing him." The manager said he saw the suspect "pursuing" the victim, who soon fell to the floor.

Another witness told the deputy he witnessed the suspect "raise his arm and strike" the victim, who then "began to swear" and told the suspect "he was trying to kill" him. The witness then saw the suspect flee to the back of the store and exit through "the employee doors," the criminal complaint states.

The deputy cleared the scene and returned to the sheriff's office, where he soon received a phone call from the store manager who said the suspect's brother called to say the suspect "was at his residence, was calm, and waiting for deputies to come and get him," court documents state. Deputies and a state trooper went to the home and took the suspect into custody without incident.

At the residence, the suspect's grandmother told investigators he "has schizophrenia and does not take medication to control it." The criminal complaint states the suspect was lucid and knew why he was being arrested, telling authorities "he thinks he has mental health issues" and hasn't been sleeping well due to alcohol consumption.

The suspect also told investigators he was thinking of leaving his shift early "because he felt like hurting someone," the complaint states. He said the victim was a regular customer who "is friendly," but had a "look" on his face before the attack.

"Defendant said that people staring at him is a trigger for him and he also thought there was some racism happening," the complaint states.

He told investigators he went and got his gun after leaving the store "because he did not want to go in for life," but his brother convinced him to put it away, according to court documents.

The victim's wife and stepson were also at the store at the time of the attack. His wife said she didn't see the stabbing, but heard her husband yell, "Help me, I've been stabbed, someone call 911," the complaint states. She saw her husband "holding his neck and a 'big guy' running after" him. The victim's stepson applied pressure to his neck before first responders arrived. 

Court documents state the victim told investigators he had "made eye contact" with the suspect before opening a refrigerator door, and then felt a "sharp punch" on his right jaw and "saw that the man had an angry look on his face."

The victim had an "air bubble" inside his neck which likely points to esophageal damage from the stabbing, in addition to nerve damage that has caused "his face to droop and his tongue to feel partially numb," the complaint states. His current condition is unknown.

If convicted, the suspect could face up to 20 years in prison.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.